Citrus industry ‘recovering’ after double double blow to operations

The industry was faced with cold chain disruptions when violence and looting gripped parts of the country two weeks ago

The disruptions between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal saw major routes being cordoned off, affecting the transportation of goods along the N2 and N3.  

But just as the industry was catching its breath from the unrest, its operations were put on the back foot again this week by a cyber-attack on Transnet. 

Despite the disruptions, CEO of Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa Justin Chadwick says the impact to the industry remains minimal.  

“It was just a case of the logistics chain itself not being able to run. The N3 was closed and all the vehicles filled with citrus were staged at various places between the farm and the port, wherever they could find a truck stop or somewhere safe to park while the unrest was being sorted out. 

“Once the unrest had settled down it was a case of getting all of those different aspects of the supply chain running again.”

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He adds the loss suffered by the industry will depend on how long it takes for it to return to full operation.

“If it’s in the next day or two and Transnet manages to get around and get all their systems going then again, the impact won’t be huge. It’s really a case of how long it takes.” 

Chadwick says there are talks about improving infrastructure at the Maputo depot in Mozambique to maximise efficiency.  

“We’ve got staff and others looking at that at the moment so we probably will use that port to some extent this season.”