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Rasberries - the undercover story
Farmer's Weekly
|January 2-9, 2026
Think twice about growing raspberries, said Trevor McKenzie of Eurafruit in Stellenbosch.
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Sure, there are good overseas markets for A-grade raspberries, but quality and continuity of supply are of vital importance. Raspberry plants are subject to enormous fluctuation in production, and the berries are extremely perishable. This results in fluctuations in supply and therefore in price, McKenzie explains. Add to this the fact that South Africa is not particularly well suited for the commercial production of high-quality raspberries for fresh consumption, and the production picture is not a very rosy one.
In spite of these difficulties, the six main raspberry producers supplying Eurafruit are realising good prices for top-quality export raspberries. These growers are owner/producers, very committed to what they are doing and paying meticulous attention to detail. This is the reason for their success.
There certainly are markets for raspberries, McKenzie confirms. Supermarkets in the UK and Europe want top-quality fresh product on their shelves every day, and are prepared to pay premium prices for the berries.
The local market is not particularly good, as South Africans are not traditionally consumers of berries, apart from strawberries and, to a lesser extent, gooseberries. This means local production has to be export-oriented.
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