What SA Citrus Must Get Right | Ep. 160

Recorded at the 2026 CRI Citrus Research Symposium, Dewald Kirsten and Louise Brodie speak with Hoppie Nel, Fruit Industry Consultant, about a career spanning decades in the South African citrus industry and the lessons that experience has brought.

From his early career in soil science to managing major citrus developments and becoming closely involved in organised citrus industry structures, Hoppie has witnessed significant changes in South African citrus production, exports and industry cooperation.

A central theme of the conversation is the industry's focus on volume. Hoppie argues that producing or exporting more fruit does not necessarily mean creating more value. The more important questions are how much fruit is exportable, what returns reach the farm and whether South Africa can position itself as a higher-value citrus exporter rather than simply pursuing ever-growing volumes.

The discussion also looks back at difficult export seasons, including the collapse of the Japanese market in 2005, and how oversupplying attractive markets can have consequences across other destinations.

Hoppie reflects on the development of the Citrus Growers' Association, cooperation between different citrus-producing regions and the importance of growers working collectively even when their immediate interests differ.

They also discuss:

• Why exportable quality matters more than headline tonnage
• The risks of becoming too volume-driven
• Grower returns and where value is distributed across the citrus supply chain
• Lessons from previous citrus market downturns
• The development of the Citrus Growers' Association
• The importance of research and Citrus Research International
• Cooperation between citrus-producing regions
• The competitiveness and resilience of South African growers
• Why difficult seasons need to be viewed within the longer agricultural cycle
• Hoppie's advice to people entering the citrus industry

For growers facing difficult conditions, his message is grounded in decades of experience: study the numbers, respect the environmental limitations of where you farm, and once the fundamentals are right, have faith and patience.

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