Minister John Steenhuisen: Hortgro Symposium 2026

Opening address delivered by Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, at the Hortgro Symposium 2026 with theme “Growing Forward in a Changing World”– Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West – 25 May 2026

Ladies and gentlemen,
Nic Dicey, the leadership of Hortgro, 
Distinguished speakers, 
Researchers, growers, exporters, partners from industry and government, 
and all delegates joining us here today, good morning.

It is a pleasure to join you at the Hortgro Symposium under what is an exceptionally appropriate theme: “Growing Forward in a Changing World.” Few industries understand the meaning of that phrase better than the South African deciduous fruit industry.

This is an industry that operates at the frontline of change. It deals daily with shifting climate conditions, increasingly complex export requirements, evolving consumer expectations, logistical pressures, technological disruption and fierce global competition. Yet despite all of these challenges, it remains one of the most dynamic, resilient and internationally competitive sectors in South African agriculture.

Importantly, it is an industry whose impact extends far beyond orchards and packhouses. The deciduous fruit industry sustains more than 302,000 jobs across primary agriculture and agri-processing and contributes to a broader horticultural economy worth over R147 billion nationally. That is not simply an agricultural statistic.

It is a social and economic reality for hundreds of thousands of South Africans.

Across the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, this industry is one of the great anchors of rural economic life. In many towns and valleys, fruit production is the economy. It supports workers, families, local businesses, schools, transport operators, municipalities and entire rural communities. The Western Cape alone accounts for roughly 74% of South Africa’s deciduous fruit area, while the Langkloof and surrounding regions of the Eastern Cape remain critical pome fruit production hubs and major rural employment anchors.

This is an industry that creates opportunity where opportunity is often scarce. It is labour-intensive, export-driven and deeply integrated into the social fabric of the regions in which it operates. The National Development Plan correctly identified the fruit industry as one of South Africa’s greatest opportunities for labour-intensive agricultural growth and job creation. The industry has proven that assessment correct.

South Africa’s fruit growers are not simply producing world-class fruit. They are building globally competitive value chains that sustain livelihoods, generate foreign exchange earnings and position South Africa as a serious agricultural exporter on the international stage. That success did not happen by accident. It happened because this industry invested heavily in organisation, research, innovation, quality standards and collective action.

One of the most important lessons in modern agriculture is that strong industries require strong institutions. Hortgro is a very good example of that principle in action.

The role played by industry organisations like Hortgro is critical because government cannot, and should not, attempt to do everything itself. Strong sector organisation creates coordination, drives research investment, supports market development, enables knowledge sharing and strengthens the industry’s ability to respond collectively to challenges. That culture of self-governance and industry leadership has been one of the major strengths of South African horticulture, and it matters now more than ever.

Agriculture globally is entering a period of profound transition. Climate change isreshaping production conditions. Global trade systems are becoming more volatile.

 Sustainability requirements are becoming stricter. Consumers are demanding greater traceability and environmental accountability. At the same time, logistics systems and infrastructure are under increasing pressure worldwide. For South Africa, all of these pressures are amplified by our distance from major markets and our reliance on efficient cold chain systems and export logistics.

That is why resilience is no longer an abstract concept for agriculture. It has become an operational necessity. We saw that very clearly in the recent storms that struckthe Western Cape.

 The devastating storms caused widespread damage to infrastructure, orchards and local communities, particularly in the Witzenberg and Breede River Valley regions.

The collapse of critical electricity infrastructure and the pressure placed on coldstorage facilities created serious risks for the apple and pear industry at a particularly sensitive point in the export season.

During my visit to the region last week, I was struck not only by the scale of the damage, but also by the resilience and determination shown by farmers, workers, municipalities and local communities under extremely difficult conditions. I saw communities rallying together under pressure. I saw producers trying to protect crops, maintain cold chains and save export windows despite enormous logistical and operational strain.

But these events also carry an important warning. They are a stark indicator that climate resilience, infrastructure maintenance and disaster preparedness are becoming increasingly important components of agricultural sustainability.

Climate change is no longer a future challenge for agriculture. It is already reshaping production realities today. The South African fruit industry is particularly vulnerable because deciduous fruit production depends heavily on reliable winter chilling, predictable flowering patterns, irrigation stability and export-grade quality standards.

Warmer winters, droughts, floods, storms, heat stress and changing pest pressures all have direct consequences for productivity, fruit quality and export competitiveness.

That is why science and research are becoming more important, not less. One of the reasons South Africa’s fruit industry has remained globally competitive is because this sector has consistently invested in innovation and scientific capability. The programme for this symposium reflects exactly that reality. Over the coming days, delegates will engage on orchard water use, regenerative farming, integrated pest management, climate adaptation, rootstocks, new technologies, spray systems,sustainability and biosecurity.

This is not an industry standing still. It is an industry actively preparing for the future.

Research matters because the future competitiveness of agriculture will increasingly depend on adaptation. Growers will need better drought-tolerant rootstocks, improved irrigation scheduling, stronger climate risk planning, smarter orchard protection systems and more sophisticated pest management approaches. Innovation is no longer optional. It is the foundation of sustainability. Innovation in modern agriculture is not limited to laboratories or research institutions. It includes technology in orchards, data-driven irrigation systems, biological controls, advanced breeding systems, logistics optimisation and digital traceability platforms. The future of agriculture will belong to sectors that combine productivity with sustainability and science with competitiveness.

This is also why biosecurity remains such a critical priority for government and industry alike. As international phytosanitary standards become stricter, maintaining and expanding market access increasingly depends on strong plant health systems, effective surveillance and scientific credibility. I am particularly pleased to see the strong biosecurity focus reflected in this symposium programme, including discussions on the Plant Health Act, quarantine systems and integrated pest management. These are not technical side issues. They are fundamental economic issues. Without strong biosecurity systems, market access becomes vulnerable.

And market access is absolutely central to the future growth of this industry. South Africa cannot grow its agricultural economy if we cannot continuously expand and protect access to global markets.

The deciduous fruit industry already exports more than 60% of its output to over 100 international destinations. Future growth opportunities increasingly lie in strategic expansion into high-value markets, particularly in Asia and the Far East. The Far East and Asia already account for roughly 35% of South African apple exports and represent one of the most important growth frontiers for the industry.

This is why the Department of Agriculture has made market access one of our central strategic priorities. Working together with industry, South Africa has achieved significant breakthroughs in recent months. One of the most important was the landmark stone fruit protocol concluded with China, which secured simultaneous access for peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and prunes. This was not a routine achievement. It was a major strategic breakthrough that unlocked access to one of the world’s largest and most valuable consumer markets.

Similarly, South Africa successfully reopened fresh apple exports to Thailand under strict phytosanitary conditions, while ongoing work continues to expand access opportunities for cherries and other high-value fruit categories into Asian markets. These successes demonstrate what can be achieved when industry and government work together with a common purpose.

Government’s role is clear. Our responsibility is to create the enabling environment that allows agriculture to grow and compete. That means reducing unnecessary red tape. It means improving regulatory efficiency. It means strengthening biosecurity systems. 

It means modernising legislation. It means supporting infrastructure and logistics improvements. And it means aggressively pursuing export opportunities for South African producers.

But we must also be honest about the constraints that continue to undermine competitiveness. The inefficiencies at the Port of Cape Town and wider logistics failures have imposed enormous costs on the fruit industry. The sector has suffered hundreds of millions of rand in losses linked to delays, rerouting costs, demurrage charges and quality deterioration caused by cold-chain disruptions. These are not minor operational inconveniences. For a high-value perishable export sector, logistics efficiency is existential.

When export fruit misses shipping windows, producers do not simply lose time. They lose value, market confidence and profitability. That is why fixing logistics and infrastructure remains one of the most important economic reforms South Africa must undertake if we want to unlock agricultural growth.

Because the opportunity is enormous. South Africa already holds a strong position globally in apples, pears and stone fruit exports. Yet there remains significant room for expansion into higher-value markets, deeper value-chain development and greater beneficiation. Importantly, those opportunities translate directly into jobs.

When agriculture grows, rural economies grow. When exports expand, packhouses expand. When orchards expand, employment expands.

The challenge before us is therefore not simply to preserve what we have built. It is to scale it. To deepen value chains. To strengthen climate resilience. To invest in science and innovation. To expand market access. To improve infrastructure. To support emerging producers. And to ensure that South African agriculture remains globally competitive in an increasingly demanding world.

What gives me confidence is that this industry understands the scale of that challenge. This symposium itself reflects an industry that is thinking seriously about the future. A future shaped by technology. A future shaped by sustainability. A future shaped by science. And a future that will require continued collaboration between growers, researchers, industry organisations and government.

None of us can solve these challenges alone. But together, I believe South African agriculture has every reason to remain optimistic. We produce exceptional fruit. We have world-class growers. We have outstanding scientific capability. And we have industries willing to innovate, adapt and invest in the future. That combination gives South Africa a strong foundation for growth.

I want to thank Hortgro for its continued leadership, its investment in research anddevelopment, and its constructive partnership with government. I also want to acknowledge the growers, workers, researchers and industry partners who continue to build this sector despite increasingly difficult operating conditions. 

Your resilience, innovation and determination are helping to secure not only the future of this industry, but the future of many rural communities across our country.

I wish you a productive and successful symposium over the coming days.

Thank you very much.

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