Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, said in a statement that there should be no rerouting of exports from Western Cape
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Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer said there should be no more rerouting of exports from Western Cape despite the World Bank Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) highlighting a deterioration in Cape Town’s performance.
Meyer said there was a renewed, urgent focus on improving efficiency at the Port of Cape Town. “This follows recent insights indicating that significant volumes of agricultural produce had to be diverted due to operational challenges at the Port of Cape Town during the previous peak export period. It is estimated that about 55,000 tons of table grapes were rerouted, with additional impacts felt by the pome and stone fruit industries, including apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries.”
Meyer said rerouting places severe financial strain on producers and exporters due to increased logistics and transport costs.
“A non-performing Port of Cape Town places a direct and unsustainable financial burden on our producers. Every delay and diversion erodes farm profitability, threatens export competitiveness, and places jobs at risk across the agricultural value chain,” he said.
“We cannot allow a repeat of the costly diversion of produce to other provinces. Our focus must be clear: improve efficiency, reliability, and coordination at the Port of Cape Town,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture has been engaging with Transnet and other stakeholders to address operational shortcomings that led to delays and backlogs. These engagements have prioritised improving equipment reliability and infrastructure performance; strengthening labour and operational management; better communication between stakeholders; and contingency planning to prevent future disruptions.
Meyer said organised agricultural bodies—including Hortgro, the South African Table Grape Industry, and the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum—have raised concerns about the cost implications of rerouting and called for urgent corrective measures.
“Every available resource and intervention must be directed at restoring optimal performance at the Port of Cape Town. The competitiveness of agricultural exports and the sustainability of our farming communities depend on it."
He said their Growth for Jobs Strategy required an efficient, high-performing Port of Cape Town.
"Without a reliable port, we cannot unlock the export growth and job creation that our province urgently needs. We also need to accelerate greater private sector participation in the operation and management of the Port of Cape Town to unlock efficiency gains, investment, and world-class performance,” he said.
Meyer said the department continues to support farmers—particularly emerging producers—through programs such as the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Program (CASP), the provision of production-input funding, and extension services to improve planning and resilience to disruptions.
“While we will continue to support our farmers, the long-term solution lies in fixing the logistics ecosystem. Efficient port operations are non-negotiable for growth, job creation, and export expansion in the Western Cape," he said
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