Breathing New Life Into The Guava Industry

The Agricultural Research Council is undertaking various trials aimed at making guava production more profitable. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Salomie Willemse and Chris Smith, experts involved in the programme.

- Chris Smith

FAST FACTS

The development of new guava varieties is critical to the future sustainability of the industry.

Training systems hold promise as a way of enhancing fruit quality.

Selling fruit to the fresh market can greatly improve the profitability of guava production.

With guava wilt disease (GWD) having almost obliterated the guava industry in the rest of South Africa, production is set to grow substantially in the Western Cape, which is still free from this highly contagious fungal disease.

Whether farmers take this opportunity to produce guavas will greatly depend on whether the fruit can compete with others.

Jacques Jordaan, CEO of the Guava Producers’ Association, explained at the association’s annual general meeting earlier this year that guava orchards were relatively cheap to establish in comparison with others, and could last substantially longer (up to a century, according to some).

However, the market is cyclical, with great ups and downs, and margins are generally not that large, as approximately 70% of all guavas end up on the juicing market, which doesn’t justify the high cost of labour. “Finding ways to divert more fruit to the fresh market, which accounts for about 24% of the fruit, will make guava production more financially viable,” says Jordaan.