Kaya Drive: Which province produces the best fruit and veg

By: Natasha Archary

South Africans are spoilt for choice when it comes to fresh fruit and veg with many provinces boasting a range of produce. The country’s fruit crops account for 50% of agricultural exports and SA is the second-largest exporter of citrus fruit products.

Apart from citrus fruit, pome fruit, stone fruit, table grapes, subtropical fruit and exotic fruit are some of the fruit produce that is exported to 92 countries.

The economic value generated from these exports is in excess of $1.7 billion.

Kaya Drive with Sizwe Dhlomo wanted to know which province produces the best fruit and veg and of course, he picked his home ground Kwazulu-Natal but noted that Limpopo also has some amazing fruit and veg.

Wed 15:09:02 to 15:28:32 Kaya FM 95.9

Avocado

Avocados, one of the most ‘in demand’ products out of South Africa and is grown in both Limpopo and KZN. With an annual production of between 80 000 and 120 000 tonnes being exported to parts of the Northern Hemisphere where avos are scarce.

The sought-after fruit is in demand all-year-round and many were divided over where the best avos in the country come from. Limpopo ranked highly but the big ‘butter’ avos from KZN are a firm favourite too.

Avo season is from March through to September in the country and the best local avo is said to be the Fuerte followed closely by the Hass avocado.

Grapes

The Western Cape is well-known for its table grapes and the province has been producing and exporting table grapes for more than a century.

Mangoes

The bulk of South African mangoes come from the Hoedspruit area in the Limpopo Province. Kwazulu-Natal however, also produces mangoes and other summer fruit like litchi, guava.

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