Thieves and looters in search of “green gold”, the succulent avocado trade that is shaking South Africa

Private guards on board large jeeps patrol at night among the avocado fields on a farm in South Africa, where “green gold” has become a coveted booty on a large scale.

At the wheel, Marius Jacobs gazes at the hundreds of avocado trees over six feet tall. “There are more and more thieves, they are loading whole trucks”, Explain.

The plundering of the fields in recent years they number in the thousands of tons and they represent millions of dollars in losses for South African producers.

The boom in avocado consumption, particularly in the United States and Europe, has triggered the prices of this fruit, including the price in these markets it can go up to $ 12 per kilo.

At this time of the end of the southern summer, in the cultures of Limpopo (north), the branches are loaded with fleshy, dark green fruits, about to be harvested.

And that’s why thefts are increasing.

Marius Jacobs’ teams are in charge of the safety of around twenty farms, most of which specialize in this coveted fruit.

Thieves discovered in the midst of crime they are hunted down by dogs, captured and transferred to the police.

Millionaires lose

In one night they can be stolen up to 30 tons.

“We captured a full minibus,” remembers a guard, Manuel Malatjie, 28. “We are doing what we can, but it is getting harder and harder.”

In the 250 hectares of fields of the Allesbeste farm, the seasonal workers work quickly at the start of the harvest.

Edrean Ernst, 40, pulls the numbers: expects a loss of $ 17,000 due to these thefts. And this despite having invested colossal sums in security, both in personnel and in fencing, part of which is electrified.

Over the past two years, the company, which exports 1,500 tonnes of avocados per year, he was the victim of about twenty lootings.

In this vast rural area, neither the police nor the security guards can cover all areas. “It helps criminals“, laments the farmer.

The perpetrators of petty looting gradually became organized gangs. They operate at night, operate quickly and seek out the highest quality fruit for export, especially to Europe.

“Some come with big machetes”explains Phillip Mofokeng, who runs two large farms of 83 hectares.

“It’s like playing cat and mouse,” says Ernst. With increased security, thefts decrease … until they increase again after a few months.

In a market near Tanzeen, about 400 km north of Johannesburg, Each batch of avocados has a barcode to track its origin. It is a way of fighting against the trade in “green gold”.

Mauritz Swart, who controls the commodity in the market, detects small pieces of stem on each fruit, which prevents it from rusting quickly. When looting, thieves pick up avocados so quickly that they don’t notice them and leave a hole.

Near a road, bags of avocados hang from street stalls. Holes are visible in the fruits. At two dollars a kilo, they are six times cheaper than in a supermarket. They come from a neighboring “market”, assures the seller.

“These sellers are flooding the informal market” and they have an impact on prices and demand, explains Swart.

“The police do not take this seriously (…) It is not a murder, only the theft of lawyers”, he criticizes.

Source: AFP

PB