Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African citrus industry was deregulated in 1997. Before deregulation only Outspan could export citrus from South Africa and no other export company was allowed to do so. The deregulation process was not gradual, but came suddenly and the industry changed from fully regulated to deregulated in a very short time. This sudden deregulation created a lot of uncertainty in the industry. More than one hundred new fruit export companies were established within a year after deregulation. Most of these new entrants had very little experience in exporting citrus. Many of them went bankrupt within a year or two and many citrus producers suffered considerable financial losses as a result. Producers had no experience in exports themselves and many were not qualified to choose reputable export companies to export their fruit. The face of the industry has been changed unrecognisably. In the past there was one big company exporting all the citrus from South Africa. After deregulation a lot of small to medium fruit export companies were established. These companies playa very important role in the industry as it stands today. Deregulation also opened the door for big international fruit marketing and distribution companies to enter the South African fruit business. After some years of chaos and very little reliable information available in the industry in terms of volumes produced and exported, the industry is stabilising. A number of industry bodies like the Citrus Exporters Forum (CEF) and Citrus South Africa (CSA) have been formed to represent the exporters and the producers. These bodies have formed the Joint Marketing Forum (JMF) that meets every month to discuss marketing and industry-related issues jointly. The debate with regards to deregulation rages on. Most industry role players are supportive of less regulation and free market principles. However, deregulation could have been more gradually phased in. This would have given more people, especially producers, the chance to adapt to the new environment. Most role players are of the opinion that the citrus industry is more market driven and more competitive after deregulation than before. Taking a look at the South African citrus industry in the future, there will be increased competition due to increased volume of citrus produced world wide. Producers can therefore no longer produce unwanted varieties or produce in marginal areas where the yields are low. Producers must take their destiny in their own hands and must educate themselves in the export process so that they can make the right decisions about production and exports. As a result of increased competition and lower margins the distribution chain must be as short as possible with as few middle men as possible. As a result of this producer exporters are on the increase. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid Afrikaanse sitrusbedryf is in 1997 gedereguleer. Voor deregulering kon slegs Outspan sitrus uit Suid Afrika uitvoer en geen ander maatskappy is toegelaat om dit te doen nie. Die dereguleringsprosess was nie geleidelik nie, maar die industrie het van ten volle gereguleerd tot gedureguleer verander in 'n baie kort tyd. Die skielike deregulering het gelei tot groot onsekerheid in die industrie. Meer as eenhonderd nuwe vrugte uitvoermaatskappy is binne 'n jaar na deregulering gevorm. Meeste van die nuwe rolspelers het baie min ondervinding in die uitvoer van sitrus gehad. Baie het dan ook bankrot gespeel binne 'n jaar of twee en baie sitrusprodusente het groot finansiële verliese gelei as gevolg daarvan. Meeste produsente het ook geen ondervinding in uitvoere gehad nie 'en was dus nie gekwalifiseerd om betroubare uitvoermaatskappye te kies om hulle sitrus uit te voer nie. Die gesig van die industry is onherkenbaar verander. Tydens regularing was daar slegs een groot maatskappy wat alle sitrus van Suid Afrika af uitgevoer het. Na deregulering is 'n groot aantal klein tot medium vrugte uitvoermaatskappye gevorm. Hierdie maatskappye speel 'n baie belangrike rol in die industrie soos dit tans lyk. Deregulering het ook die deur vir groot internasionale vrugtebemarkings en distribusiemaatskappye oopgemaak om die Suid Afrikaanse industrie te betree. Na 'n aantal jare van chaos en baie min betroubare informasie wat beskikbaar was in terme van volume geproduseer en uitgevoer, is die industrie besig om te stabiliseer. Daar is ook 'n aantal industrieliggame soos die Sitrus Uitvoerders Forum en Sitrus Suid Afrika gevorm om die belange van uitvoerders en produsente te verteenwoordig. Hierdie liggame het die Gesamentlike Bemarkings Forum gevorm wat elke maand vergader om bemarking en ander industrie aangeleenthede gesaamentlik te bespreek. Die debad met betrekking tot deregularing is steeds aan die gang. Meeste industrierolspelers ondersteun minder regulering en vryemark beginsels. Hulle stem egter saam dat die dereguleringsproses meer geleidelik ingefaseer moes word. Dit sou produsente meer tyd gegee het om aan te pas by die nuwe omgewing. Meeste rolspelers is van die opinie dat die sitrusindustrie in Suid Afrika meer markgerig en ook meer kompeterend geword het na deregulering. In die toekoms kan verwag word dat daar meer kompetisie in die sitrusbedryf sal wees as gevolg van 'n toename in sitrusproduksie wêreldwyd in sitrusproduserende lande. Produsente kan dus nie meer ongewenste variëteite produseer of sitrus produseer in marginale areas waar opbrengste laag is nie. Produsente moet hulle toekoms in hulle eie hande neem en moet die uitvoerproses leer ken sodat hulle die regte besluite kan neem oor produksie en uitvoere. As gevolg van toenemende kompetisie en kleiner marges moet die logistiekeketting so kort en koste effektief as moontlik gehou word. As gevolg hiervan is produsente uitvoermaatskappye aan die toeneem.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Sc.) -- Hawkesbury Agricultural College, 1985. / "A thesis submitted to Hawkesbury Agricultural College in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science."

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Texas A & M University, 1987. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 224-241).

Orientador: Everson Alves Miranda / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T06:45:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Oliveira_Sheilade_M.pdf: 1089976 bytes, checksum: 416dea7e320edfbe15467ca471df7a72 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: As indústrias cítricas geram grandes quantidades de efluentes líquidos. Estes efluentes são potencialmente poluidores para descarte em corpos d'água e necessitam de tratamento adequado. A maioria das plantas de tratamento de efluentes cítricos utiliza processos biológicos, devido a custos operacionais mais baixos quando comparado aos processos físico-químicos. Porém, estas plantas têm apresentado problemas de eficiência de remoção da carga orgânica e inibição da atividade biológica, em função das características tóxicas do efluente cítrico, devido à presença residual do d-limoneno, um monoterpeno extraído da casca da laranja. O d-limoneno, quando separado e purificado, tem ampla aplicação industrial, na área cosmética como fragrância e na área alimentícia como agente antimicrobiano e também pode ser bioconvertido em produtos como ácidos e alcoóis perílicos e carvona que podem ser utilizados na terapia do câncer. Os objetivos deste estudo foram selecionar e identificar microrganismos capazes de degradar o d-limoneno em altas concentrações (até 5%), simulando condições similares aos efluentes cítricos e avaliar o comportamento de consórcio destes microrganismos. Também foi avaliada a qualificação dos produtos obtidos da bioconversão do d-limoneno. Os microrganismos foram isolados a partir do lodo ativado de uma estação de tratamento de esgotos. Uma pré-seleção, de 56 linhagens de bactérias foi realizada, durante as 3 etapas de enriquecimento com o d-limoneno, através da técnica de esgotamento em superfície. Foram selecionadas 10 linhagens, que apresentaram maior crescimento visual, que foram caracterizados através da morfologia, coloração diferencial (Gram) e análise filogenética. A biodegradação do d-limoneno foi avaliada pela remoção de DQO em meios de cultivos diferentes variando as concentrações de d-limoneno (1%, 3% e 5%) sob condição agitada e estática na temperatura de 30°C. A bioconversão dos produtos foi qualificada por cromatografia gasosa. Foram isoladas bactérias Gram-positivas, do gênero Bacillus resistentes à concentração de 5% de d-limoneno sem fonte complementar de carbono. A remoção de DQO foi de 77% e terpineol, alcoóis ciclodecanol e octanediol foram qualificados como produtos bioconvertidos / Abstract: The citrus' industries generate large quantities of wastewater. These effluents are potentially polluting to disposal in water bodies and require treatment. Most sewage treatment plants citrus use biological process due to lower operating costs compared to physical-chemical processes. However these plants have presented problems in the efficiency removal of organic charge and inhibition of the biological activity due to citric toxic characteristics because of the presence of residual d-limonene, a monoterpene extracted from orange peel. The d-limonene, when it is separated and purified, has large industrial application, on field cosmetics as fragrances and foods fields as antimicrobial agent. Besides, the d-limonene can be bioconverted in perillic acids and perillyl alcohol, ?-terpineol and carvone that can be used in cancer therapy. The achievement of this study was select and isolate microorganism able to degradation high containing limonene (since 5%), simulating the same condition of wastewater characterizes of citric plants and evaluated the consortium microorganism behavior. In addition, the products of biotransformation d-limonene were qualified. Microorganisms were isolated from activated sludge of sewage treatment plant. A pre-selection, with 56 strains, was undertaken, during the 3 stage of enrichment with d-limonene, using depletion technique to isolate microorganisms. Ten strains were selected that showed the greater visual growth. They were characterized through of morphology, Gram and phylogenetic analysis. The d-limonene biodegradation was determinate by reduction COD in different cultivation media, varying the concentration of d-limonene (5 %, 3 % and 1 %) in agitated and stationary condition at temperature 30°C. The bioconversion of product obtained was confirmed by gas chromatography. Gram-positive bacteria were isolated of the Bacillus genus, bacteria resist to 5% of limonene-containing without complementary source of carbon. The removal of COD was 77% and terpineol, cyclodecanol and octadienol was evaluated as products bioconverted / Mestrado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Biotecnologicos / Mestra em Engenharia Química

The main objective of this study was to analyse South African (SA) citrus farmers’ perceptions of the benefits and costs of complying with quality assurance (QA) certification schemes for citrus exports to the European Union (EU). The study used an e-mail and postal survey questionnaire mailed to a stratified random sample of 260 SA commercial citrus growers during July 2007. The survey yielded 108 usable responses - a response rate of 10.8% from the target population of 1001 commercial SA citrus growers. The main factors motivating respondents to adopt QA certification were to keep and maintain access to existing markets; to improve customer confidence in their products; to access new markets; and to meet food safety and retailer requirements. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified six underlying dimensions of motivators, which suggest a drive by sampled respondents to gain certification to meet market requirements, achieve intra-farm benefits such as cost-reduction, and to remain competitive in existing and new foreign markets. The sampled respondents identified the main internal benefits from QA certification as the ability to retain existing markets; improved worker health and safety; better access to foreign markets; better farm organisation; and improved fruit safety and orchard management. The PCA identified six broad dimensions of these internal benefits. Comparing the motivator and perceived benefit dimensions, most of the motivators seem to have been in part realised by the respondents. Respondents rated shared goals and values about the product; more joint decision making on fruit safety; more working together on quality assurance; a better business working relationship; improved coordination; and improved trust as the six major supply chain benefits from QA certification. The two dimensions identified from these external benefits by PCA were: (1) Improved working relationship and product quality benefits, and (2) Improved cooperation and contractual benefits. The major costs of implementing EUREPGAP certification related to initial investment costs and the recurrent annual costs of compliance. The respondents, on average, spent an estimated R70655 on initial compliance costs, mainly for infrastructure, additional buildings and employees training. Some 60% of respondents spent less than 1% of annual farm turnover on initial compliance costs, while most of the respondents (84%) spent less than 1% of annual farm turnover on recurrent costs of compliance. Growers that owned a pack-house had statistically significantly higher initial and annual costs of compliance. Most (63%) of the respondents had a relatively high level of overall satisfaction with QA certification. The second objective of this study was to analyse the determinants of SA citrus farmers’ overall level of satisfaction with QA certification. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression estimated that perceived dimensions of internal benefits, namely (1) Foreign market access benefits; (2) Intra-farm benefits; (3) Improved fruit safety and orchard management; (4) Quality and worker welfare benefits; and (5) Ability to retain existing markets, all had a statistically significant positive influence on the sampled growers’ overall level of satisfaction with QA certification. Supply chain benefits also had a positive effect on overall level of satisfaction, although the effects were not statistically significant. Similarly, no statistically significant relationship could be established between farm size or the respondents’ level of satisfaction with their certifying agents and their overall level of satisfaction with QA certification. Record keeping is required by nearly all EUREPGAP control chapters and for farm audits. Crop protection is also perceived as a complex requirement of the EUREPGAP protocol. Policymakers thus need to be aware of the extra costs that protocols create for management. The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) could consider providing more extension advice to farmers on the technical requirements of certification (particularly best practices for implementing the control chapters). Comparing the motivator and perceived benefit dimensions, most of the motivators for QA certification seem to have been in part realised by the respondents. For instance, the drivers to improve business image/market competitiveness/market access requirements/farm profitability were realised via perceived reputation/input cost savings/foreign market and profit improvement benefits. The study results, therefore, provide some evidence that QA certification is a necessary strategy for maintaining competitiveness in EU citrus markets. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

This study examines the socio-economic impact of fair trade on black emerging citrus fruit farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is a comparative analysis of farmers involved in fair trade and those who are not. Farmers from Riverside Enterprise and Sundays River Citrus Cooperative were examined to evaluate the impact of fair trade. Such impact was analyzed through looking at access farmers have to foreign markets and their ability to receive high income returns from these markets. The study also discusses the influence fair trade has on the social and economic development of the farmers’ communities. The findings of the study indicate how most fair trade communities have benefited financially and through public infrastructure such as crèches, learning centers and access to computers for both farmers and workers. Such public developments are funded through the fair trade social dividend which is a premium farmers receive for selling their fruit under fair trade. However, the study findings also indicate the limitations of fair trade; farmers have to incur high costs to become fair trade accredited. The study also examines the commodity value chains (hereinafter referred to as CVC) for citrus fair trade farmers and non fair trade farmers. This analysis reveals the procedure of value chains, their benefits and constraints.

Agriculture plays a significant role in South Africa’s export earning and in providing employment opportunities. Amongst the major agricultural crops is citrus. Within the context of postmodern and feminist geographies and utilizing the intensive research design, this thesis discusses citrus production with a focus on growers and black women workers in the Kat River Valley area in Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape. The thesis also explores the challenges and implications of restructuring within agriculture for growers, cooperatives and labour within the citrus industry. It is argued that whilst legislation related to labour and tenure within agriculture has changed since the mid-1990s, power relations in the citrus industry have remained firmly entrenched. Consequently, the flexible labour strategies that the citrus farmers adopted have had serious consequences for women worker

In recent years, concern about food safety linked to health issues has seen a rise in private food safety standards in addition to the regulations set by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). These have presented challenges to producers and exporters of agricultural food products especially the producers of fresh fruits and vegetables. In spite of the food safety-linked challenges from the demand side, the vast range of business-environment forces pose equally formidable challenges that negatively impact on the exporting industries’ ability to maintain or improve their market shares and their ability to compete in world markets. The objective of this study was therefore to establish the competitiveness of the South African citrus industry in the international markets within this prevailing scenario. Due to the diversity of the definitions of competitiveness as a concept, this study formulated the following working definition: “the ability to create, deliver and maintain value and constant market share through strategic management of the industrial environment or competitiveness drivers”. This was based on the understanding that the international market shares of an industry are a function of forces in the business environment which range from intra-industry, external and national as well as the international elements. The unit of analysis were the citrus producers engaged in export of their products and the study made use of 151 responses by producers. The study adopted a five-step approach to the analysis of the performance of the South African citrus industry in the global markets, starting with the analysis of the Constant Market Share (CMS) of the South African citrus industry in various world markets, establishing the impact of the business environmental factors upon competitiveness, establishing the costs of compliance with private food safety standards, determining the non-price benefits of compliance with the standards, as well as highlighting the strategies for enhancing long-term competitiveness of the industry in the international markets. South Africa is one of the top three countries dominating the citrus fruit export market. Since its entry into the citrus fruit exports market in the 1900s, the industry has sustained its activity in the international market. The Constant Market Share Analysis shows that, amidst the challenges on the international market side, and the changes in the business environment, over much of which the industry has limited control and influence, the industry has maintained its competitive advantage in several markets. The CMS shows that South Africa’s lemons are competitive in America. Despite a negative trend, the South African grapefruit has been competitive in France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Oranges have been competitive in the Greece, Italy, Portugal, UK, Asian and Northern Europe markets. Competitiveness in these markets has been due to the inherent competitiveness of the industry. Competitiveness in such markets as the Middle East has been attributed to the relatively rapid growth of these markets. The South African citrus industry has similarly undergone many major processes of transformation. The business environmental factors influencing its performance have ranged reform to the challenges beyond the country’s borders. These factors directly and indirectly affect the performance of the industry in the export market. They have influenced the flow of fruits into different international destinations. Of major concern are the food safety and private standards. Challenges in traditional markets as well as opportunities presented by demand from newly emerging citrus consuming nations have seen a diversification in the marketing of the South African citrus. The intensity of competition in the global market is reflected by the fluctuations in the market shares in different markets as well as the increase and fluctuations of fruit rejection rates in some lucrative markets such as America. A combination of challenging national environmental forces and stringent demand conditions negatively impact on revenues especially from markets characterised by price competitiveness. This study identified cost of production, foreign market support systems, adaptability, worker skills, challenges of management in an international environment and government policies such as labour and trade policies as some of the most influential obstacles to competitiveness. Some of the most competiveness-enhancing factors were market availability, market size, market information, market growth and the availability of research institutions. However, compliance with private standards still poses a challenge to the exporters. The different performance levels of the industry in various markets prove the dissimilarity of the demand conditions in the global market. These are supported by the negative influence associated with the foreign market support regimes as well as the challenges associated with compliance with private food safety standards. While market availability, market growth, market information and size were identified as enhancing competitiveness, the fluctuations and inconsistencies in the competitiveness of the industry in different foreign markets require more than finding markets. Resource allocation by both the government and the industry may need to take into account the off-setting of the national challenges and support of farmers faced with distorted and unfair international playing fields. Otherwise, market availability is not a challenge for the industry save meeting the specifications therewith as well as price competitiveness which is unattainable for the South African citrus producers faced with high production costs. For the purposes of further study, it is recommended that account should be taken of all the products marketed by the industry (including processed products such as fruit juices) in order to have a whole picture of the competitiveness of the industry in the international market. This study also proffers a new theoretical framework for the analysis of the business environment for the citrus industry and other agro-businesses. This framework takes into account the indispensability of the food safety standards and measures as well as the diversity of the global consumer and the non-negotiability of food trade for the sustenance of the growing population.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: RFID technology may be the most capable technology to address the track and trace requirements within the Agri-food supply chain. RFID technology has become a prominent research area in recent times, with multiple benefits being promised and envisaged. The list of applications and deployments within the supply chain is numerous, with the ambassadors of this technology promising increased supply chain effectiveness, inventory management capabilities and enhanced information visibility. Deregulations within the South African citrus industry created changes to the internal structure of the industry, with the requirements of enhanced information visibility for traceability becoming a high priority. Current information structures and initiatives are providing the basic requirements for the changing business environment, with limitations to real-time and visible information for improved decision-making and planning initiatives. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify the critical success factors for RFID technology deployment in supply chains in general and to identify the critical success factors relevant to the South African citrus industry. The study also researched the benefits and challenges of deploying RFID technology within the South African citrus industry, relating to citrus supply chain performance improvements of RFID adoption. The research indicates that certain limitations and challenges pertinent to the citrus industry exist, which would require industry level priority for successful implementation of RFID technology within the South African citrus industry. This study provides the South African citrus industry with a guideline to address the current non-collective management of information, information systems and requirements and collaboration initiatives. The use of this research should be of great assistance to the South African citrus industry role-players by providing a strategic framework for addressing information improvement initiatives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: RFID tegnologie kan moontlik die mees bevoegde tegnologie wees om die naspeurbaarheid vereistes van n Agri-voedsel voorsiening ketting aan te spreek. RFID tegnologie is huidiglik 'n prominente navorsingsgebied, met beloofde meervoudige voordele. Die lys van aanwendings en toepassings binne die voorsiening ketting is veelvoudig, met beloftes van die ambassadeurs van die tegnologie, vir verbeterde voorsienings ketting doeltreffendheid, inventaris bestuur en verhoogde inligtings sigbaarheid. Deregulasie van die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie het interne strukturuele veranderinge in die industrie teweeg gebring, met prioriteit fokus vir verhoogde inligting sigbaarheid vir naspeurbaarheid doeleindes. Huidige inligting strukture en initiatiewe verskaf die basiese grondslag vir die deurlopende veranderende besigheids omgewing, met intyd en sigbaarheids inligtings beperkinge, vir verbeterde besluitneming en beplanning initiatiewe. Die doel van die ondersoekende studies was om die generiese kritieke sukses faktore van RFID tegnologie implementering en die kritieke sukses faktore direk verwant tot die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie te identifiseer. Die studie het ook die voordele en uitdagings van RFID implementering binne die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie nagevors, spesifiek verwant tot die prestasie verbeterings van RFID implementering in die sitrus voorsienings ketting. Die navorsing dui aan dat sekere beperkinge en uitdagings spesifiek tot die sitrus industrie bestaan wat industrie vlak prioriteit vereis, vir suksevolle implementasie van RFID tegnologie binne die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie. Die resultate van die studie verskaf die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie met 'n riglyn om die uitdagings van die huidige nie-kollektiewe bestuur van inligting, inligting stelsels en vereistes en samewerkings initiatiewe aan te spreek. Die gebruik van die navorsing behoort van groot waarde te wees vir die rolspelers van die Suid Afrikaanse sitrus industrie, in die verskaffing van 'n strategiese raamwerk vir die aanspreking van inligting verbeterings intiatiewe.