The operations manager at the South African Berry Producers Association, Elzette Schutte, has forecasted that blueberry production will reach a maximum of 50 000 metric tons within the next 5 years. Currently, the South African blueberry industry is expecting an estimated 45% production growth in 2019, which will result in increased job opportunities.
A recent economic impact study of the blueberry industry, compiled by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture with SABPA, the country’s blueberry industry is one of the fastest-growing horticultural industries. It is predicted that should South Africa maintain its current export levels, then the growth would see South Africa competing with the Netherlands and the United State of America, who are the 5th and 6th largest blueberry exporters in the world, respectively.
South Africa exported a little over 1500 metric tons of blueberries in 2014. In 2019, the figure has grown by roughly 160% at 14 000 metric tons of blueberries. Thabi Ndlovu of SABPA said that these developments will see, “An exponential increase in jobs created, up from 1000 in 2014 to 8000 in 2019. Furthermore, by 2023, production is expected to reach 50 000 tons which will translate into 14 000 jobs.”
Growing blueberries is labor-intensive, which is why they might play a valuable role in job creation in South Africa. A single hectare of blueberries planted results in roughly 3 full-time employees, which is the highest employment rate among other fruit farms in South Africa.
SABPA was founded in 2011 to create a structured platform, through which common industry issues can be addressed for the mutual benefit of its members. Read more on the association at https://www.saberries.co.za/
