San Miguel, one of the leading citrus producers in Argentina, has started this year with good prospects. While the corporation first expanded in Uruguay in 2003 and in 2008 it started its activities in South Africa, this year's development will be especially significant. Through its subsidiary San Miguel Fruits South Africa (Pty) Ltd, this year it has acquired new farms in the Western Cape region with an investment of 5.6 million dollars. The acquisition consists of two fields with a total of 1,424 hectares in the town of Citrusdal. Currently, these farms produce about 350,000 boxes of fresh citrus for export per year, with a potential to reach 470,000 boxes.
"We've been operating in Port Elizabeth for several years and we are now acquiring farms in Citrusdal, near Cape Town. These productive fields have the phytosanitary permits to export to the European Union, so they will give us an excellent opportunity to further develop this important market for San Miguel and to supply this market and potential new markets, like the United States," affirms Alejandro Lucas, Country Manager in South Africa of the Argentinian company.
"It is a highly developed citrus production area, with low climate risks, whose fruit perfectly meets the characteristics we need. It will be a supplement to the production that we already have, facilitating the distribution of citrus and allowing us to supply our products all year round," states Lucas.
South Africa's choice has been based mainly on the opening up of new possibilities; it is a great complement to its facilities in the Eastern Cape, as it is allowing them to extend the harvest season. "This is an industry that has much growth potential. San Miguel is one of the leading citrus producers in the southern hemisphere, so the choice of this region is logical, because it is a complement to our local production. This ensures continuity of supply in case of problems in any of our locations," he concludes.
