Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) has announced the arrival of its first conventional vessel to the U.S. this week, marking the start of the 2022 season.

According to a statement, the vessel will arrive at PhilaPort, The Port of Philadelphia and contains 3,900 pallets of Clementines and Navel Oranges. Based on market demand, Easy Peelers are now the largest portion of SCSA’s product offering accounting for almost 50 percent of planned shipments this season.

 “Quality of fruit this season is excellent, and volumes are on-par with what we anticipated,” assured Suhanra Conradie, CEO of Summer Citrus from South Africa. “Retailers should be prepped, stocked and ready for the busy citrus demand this summer.”

This season does not come without its challenges. Due to logistics and supply-chain hurdles, SCSA is unable to ship containers directly to Packer Avenue, Philadelphia, which would have accounted for almost 30 percent of shipments for the summer.

“It is no secret that there are issues with the supply chain and logistics, however our sophisticated business model ensures that we are prepared and able to adjust plans as needed,” added Conradie.  

To offset some of the logistical problems, SCSA will be loading a few additional conventional vessels with containers that will be shipped via Port Newark in New Jersey. Additionally, some of the larger importers will be adding the Port of Savannah, GA as the point of entry for containers from Capetown.

“We are thankful to all of our business and logistics partners who make every season possible and successful,” concluded Conradie.