Victory for South African Avocados: Access Granted to Japan After a History of Misinterpreted Restrictions

South African avocados are celebrating their recent success in gaining access to the Japanese market, marking a second victory for the country. Clive Garrett, marketing manager for avocado producer ZZ2, explains that due to cold sterilization requirements, they will need to ship fruit with a high dry matter content. This means that avocado shipments will not be possible until later in the season, likely in July and August, depending on the dry matter content results.

Information disseminated by the media, based on data from the Department of Agriculture, created the incorrect impression that Japanese authorities had banned South African avocados, using the word in the sense of a total ban until permission was granted. It is clarified that this is not a ban; South African avocados were simply not previously marketed in Japan.

It is emphasized that "there was never any prohibition" and that the situation was simply a lack of access, which has now been granted, highlighting the opening of the Japanese market to South African avocados.

Source: Fresh Plaza