DECIDIOUS FRUITS | STONEFRUITS MARKETING SOUTH AFRICA

STONEFRUITS MARKETING | SOUTH AFRICA

Profile - Stone Fruit Industry
PPECB Inspection Regions:
Grabouw
Ceres
Paarl
Port Elizabeth (Production area: Langkloof)
Worcester
Gauteng (Production area: Potgietersrus & Naboomspruit)
Citrusdal (Production area: Piketberg)

Export percentages: (% of total production)
Plums (73%)

Nectarines & Peaches (4%)

Apricots (7%)
(Source: OABS/DFPT)

Export Harbours:
Cape Town
Port Elizabeth

Main Export Destinations: (% of total exports)
Nectarines UK - (53%) ME (21%) EU (22%)

Peaches UK - (23%) ME (59%) EU (12%)

Plums EU - (51%) UK (30%) ME (10%)

Apricots EU - (54%) UK (26%) ME (19%)

Please note that the figures are for the 2007/2008 season)

Planning

PRIMARY CONCEPTS CRITICAL GUIDELINES SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Plan harvesting, packing, cooling and shipping arrangements according to realistic crop forecasts Accurate/realistic forecasts form the basis for sound planning

Ensure that sufficient capacity will be available to harvest, pack and cool the crop.

Ensure that your pack house and cold store are FBO (Food Business Organisation) registered

Make timely arrangements for adequate shipping space

Ensure that the variety name is on the variety list

Get dispensation from Dept. of agriculture if not on list

Ensure that contingency planning is done for unexpected events e.g. power failures.

Harvest
Harvest fruit at optimum maturity and conditions that will ensure a quality product in the market , Physiological maturity at which the fruit is harvested is very important.

It has a great influence on the storability and eating quality of the fruit.
Stone fruit protocols:

Avoid picking wet fruit (dew, rain, irrigation)

Avoid fruit that is high in turgor pressure due to rain or irrigation. If rain continues for more than 10 hours, it is recommended that picking resumes only the next day.

Preferably early morning and under 25°C and reduce field heat as soon as possible after harvest.

Best harvesting methodology/harvest aids and equipment to be used

Accumulation prior to Packing

Keep picked fruit cool
Keep fruit covered from dust and direct sun

Move picked fruit with minimum temperature rise and skin damage to cooling facility
Move picked fruit with covered transport as soon as possible to a cooling facility prior to packing

Within a radius of 40km: fruit should not be stored on the farm for more than 6 hours
Areas >40km: Fruit should be delivered within 8-10 hours from time of picking
Trucks should under no circumstances be allowed to stand in the sun during the unloading process
Fruit should be received in the cold room within 35 min from arrival (unloading, inspection, entered on the system, etc)
Remove field heat
Ensure that field heat is removed as soon as possible after harvest

Cool fruit to just above the dew point temperature of the pack house
Hydro cooling can be use for plums but necessary procedures must be followed closely
Psychrometric chart for the determining of the dew point temperature.

Bins should be stacked in tunnels to ensure effective FAC

Use forced air of 15 °C to achieve this temperature throughout the bins within 3 hours
Forced air not imperative, as long as high capacity fans are operating to circulate air over bins of fruit
Reduce air speed as soon as the target temperature is reached.
Relative humidity should be between 90 and 93% .

Palletisation

PRIMARY CONCEPTS CRITICAL GUIDELINES SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Stack and secure pallet loads that can withstand the entire handling chain. Strictly follow palletisation instructions

Use only pallets that meet the standards prescribed and designed for the specific cartons
Ensure all prescribed securing strips/sheets are inserted
Pallet heights must not exceed the following limits

Conventional shipping standard pallet - 2.10 m
Pallet loads that exceed the hiht limits are prone to damage and also restrict airflow to the extend that quality may be seriously affected.

Identify the content of the pallet according to the prescribed standards Apply appropriate carton and pallet information stamps and stickers

Complete pallet load as soon as possible and put into cold storage . Complete pallet as soon as possible to minimise exposure to ambient temperatures but not longer than 3 hours

Pallets awaiting inspection should be kept under cooling

Ensure that fruit and pack specification is registered with Paltrack ,All specifications must be registered with Paltrack to ensure delays at intake points and terminal are avoided , Paltrack contact details

QUALITY AND FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS:SOUTH AFRICA

Classes

(1) There are three classes of peaches or nectarines, namely "Extra Class", "Class 1" and "Class 2".

Standards for classes

(2) A consignment of peaches or nectarines shall be classified as Extra Class if it --

(a) is of superior quality;

(b) is characteristic of the cultivar/variety and/or commercial type with regard to shape, development and colour;

(d) complies with the quality and food safety standards set out in Table 2 of Annexure 1;

(e) complies with the maturity indices for Extra Class set out in Table 1 of Annexure 1;

(f) does not exceed the maximum permissible deviations by number for Extra Class set out in Table 3 of Annexure 1; and

(g) complies with the diameter groups and diameter codes set out in Table 4 of Annexure 1.

(3) A consignment of peaches or nectarines shall be classified as Class 1 if it --

(a) is of good quality;

(b) is characteristic of the cultivar/variety and/or commercial type;

(c) is of a cultivar/variety specified in Table 1 of Annexure 1;

(d) complies with the quality and food safety standards for Class 1 set out in Table 2 of Annexure 1;

(e) complies with the maturity indices for Class 1 set out in Table 1 of Annexure 1;

(f) does not exceed the maximum permissible deviations by number for Class 1 set out in Table 3 of Annexure 1; and

(g) complies with the diameter groups and diameter codes set out in Table 4 of Annexure 1.

(4) A consignment of peaches or nectarines shall be classified as Class 2 if it --

(a) is of a cultivar/variety specified in Table 1 of Annexure 1:

(b) complies with the quality standards for Class 2 set out in Table 2 of Annexure 1;

(d) does not exceed the maximum permissible deviations by number for Class 2 set out in Table 3 of Annexure 1; and

(e) complies with the diameter groups and diameter codes set out in Table 4 of Annexure 1.

(5) No consignment of peaches and nectarines classified as "Extra Class", "Class 1" and "Class 2" shall contain --

(a) plant injurious organisms of phytosanitary importance as specified by the Directorate Plant Health;

(b) any organisms which may be a source of danger to the human being; and

(c) Arthropoda infestation including the organisms which do not form part of plant injurious organisms, excluding organisms which may be a source of danger to the human being, on more than 3% of the peaches and nectarines or three free running Arthropoda per pallet load or part thereof in the consignment: Provided that it does not exceed a maximum of one Arthro¬poda per container