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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: SAFRICA CITRUS EXPORTS RUSSIA
HEADLINE: South Africa’s $2 Billion-Citrus Industry Fears Russia Exports Losses
TEASER: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forcing South African fruit farmers to search for other markets
PUBLISHED AT: Monday, 04/11/2022 at 06:26 EDT
BYLINE: Linda Givetash, Zaheer Cassim
DATELINE: GROBLERSDAL, SOUTH AFRICA
VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim
VIDEO EDITOR: Jon Spier
SCRIPT EDITORS: Schearf, Salem Solomon
VIDEO SOURCES: Original, Zoom
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO _x_
TRT: 2:35
VID APPROVED BY: pcd
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: There is an accompanying radio piece.))
((INTRO))
[[Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left a sour taste for South Africa’s citrus farmers, who are facing millions of dollars in losses over sanctions that have closed off the Russian market. South Africa is the world’s second largest citrus exporter and farmers are scrambling to find other markets before the fruit spoils. For VOA, Linda Givetash reports from Groblersdal, South Africa.]]
((VIDEO-VOA: DRONE SHOTS OF FARM, CLOSE UP OF LEMONS))
((NARRATOR))
South Africa normally sees up to ten percent of its $2 billion in citrus exports headed to Russia.
That’s now on hold because of sanctions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After two years of export disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic, unrest, and cyberattacks on the ports, the loss of the Russian market is another blow to South African farmers.
((Piet Engelbrecht, Citrus Farmer, (male - English, 22 secs) ))
“I think we will survive this one. But it’s going to be a tough, it’s going to be a tough year ... Although demand is growing in the current markets, it’s not going that fast, rapidly that it can absorb this, the 10%.”
((VIDEO-VOA: PLUCKS, CUTS A LEMON OPEN))
((NARRATOR))
Farmer Piet Engelbrecht was forced to reroute a shipment of lemons this season that was on a vessel bound for Russia.
But finding new markets isn’t simple, even for well-established family farms.
((VIDEO-Zoom: Justin Chadwick))
((Justin Chadwick, Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, (male - English, 18 secs) )) ((Mandatory cg: ZOOM))
“Our markets are very susceptible to oversupply. And because the product obviously can’t be stored for any length of time, if there’s too much in the market, it either has to be seriously discounted to move the fruit quicker or it just it just wastes eventually.”
((VIDEO-VOA: PIET AND SON WALKING))
((NARRATOR))
Russia’s war on Ukraine has also pushed up production costs with effects beyond the current season.
((Piet Engelbrecht, Citrus Farmer, (male - English, 25 secs) ))
“A lot of our fertilizer and a lot of our fuel is also from Russia and Ukraine. So, that is although it already is in some cases, it doubled in some cases, some cases it tripled. I think it will have more of an effect in the coming few months.”
((VIDEO-VOA: FORKLIFTS, TRUCKS OUTSIDE WAREHOUSE))
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, rising fuel costs are hitting all areas of South Africa’s transportation and trade.
Economists warn that will have a longer-term effect on the economy, mainly for consumers and the poor, who spend most of their income on food.
((VIDEO-Zoom: Dawie Roodt))
((Dawie Roodt, Chief Economist, The Efficient Group, (male - English, 18 sec) )) ((Mandatory cg: ZOOM))
“We’re going to see inflation going through the roof. What is really, really going to be bad for South Africa is that the kind of inflation that we’re going to experience will be very high levels of food inflation, because of the Ukraine and Russia being major grain producers and also other soft commodities.”
((VIDEO-VOA: WORKERS IN WAREHOUSE, ON CONVEYOR LINE))
((NARRATOR))
While South Africa’s farmers are hopeful that they can survive the market loss, if future growing seasons are disrupted, they may have to cut jobs.
With South Africa’s unemployment rate hitting a record 35%, the citrus industry’s 120,000 workers want to see a recovery soon, so their jobs won’t be at risk.
((Linda Givetash for VOA News, Groblersdal, South Africa.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateApril 11, 2022 06:36 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English