Joburg Market shows growth despite trade

Joburg Market shows growth despite trade turbulence

14 December 2015

The Joburg Market made several major achievements in the first quarter of the 2015-2016 financial year despite trade fluctuations in the wake of poor weather conditions, which affected prices and the availability of fresh produce.

In a report tabled before the Mayoral Committee recently, Charles Hamilton, the Joburg Market’s Senior Strategist, indicated that more than 358 000 tons of fresh produce was sold during the period from 1st July 2015 and 30th September 2015, earning the City of Johannesburg more than R1.4-billion in revenue.

In line with the City of Joburg’ s “caring city” attribute, the Joburg Market distributed food parcels to 20 500 non-profit organisations and indigent residents across the city, exceeding the targeted number of beneficiaries by 1 500.

Hamilton also says the mass turnover of black economic empowerment market agents grew to 22 000 tons, leapfrogging the 20 000 tons target for the quarter by 10.1%.

“This was achieved despite difficult agricultural marketing conditions,” he says.

As the continent’s mecca of fresh produce, the Joburg Market facilitates trading opportunities among 5 000 active farmers and 11 000 buyers in South Africa and rest of the South African Development Community (SADC). This positions it as a critical role player in “setting the price barometer for the fresh produce industry in South Africa as it represents a market share of about 40% of the national fresh produce market in both volume and turnover”. According to Hamilton, the Joburg Market serves buyers across the entire spectrum and producers in SADC countries.

During the period under review, 36 people who worked for the Joburg Market under the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) were given permanent positions to improve core operations in departments such as consignment control, security, infrastructure and maintenance. The establishment of the Pallet Distribution Centre was also completed during the quarter, resulting in the creation of 27 direct and 43 indirect jobs.