FPEF calls for industry input into next phase of Post-Harvest Innovation Programme

The call follows the conclusion of the fifth phase of the programme, PHI-5, at the end of June 2026. It marks the latest step in a research and innovation initiative that has been operating for almost two decades.

Launched in 2007, the PHI Programme is a public-private partnership between the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and industry, with the FPEF serving as implementing agent. It was established in response to the need for focused research, development and innovation to address technology gaps affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of South Africa’s fresh horticultural export industry.

The programme focuses specifically on the post-harvest section of the value chain – the critical period between harvesting and the arrival of fresh produce in the market. For an export-orientated industry supplying destinations thousands of kilometres from South Africa, maintaining fruit quality, reducing losses and extending storage and shelf life can have a direct bearing on commercial performance.

Research supported through PHI has consequently covered a wide range of challenges, including post-harvest disease management, cold-chain technology, quality retention, storage, packaging and other technologies required to move highly perishable products through increasingly sophisticated export supply chains.

Industry participation is central to the PHI model. Formalised horticultural industry associations work with the programme to identify priority post-harvest challenges and support research projects addressing the specific needs of their commodities. This helps connect scientific research with problems encountered commercially by growers, packhouses, exporters and other participants in the supply chain.

During PHI-5, which commenced in 2022, research and development project costs were funded jointly by the DSTI through its Sector Innovation Fund and participating industry associations on an equal basis. Recent industry partners have included Hortgro, the South African Table Grape Industry, the South African Subtropical Growers’ Association, Cape Flora SA and Berries ZA.

The programme has grown considerably since its establishment. By early 2026, close to 100 research and development projects had been supported through its successive phases. Its role has also extended beyond individual research outcomes to developing post-harvest scientific capacity, supporting postgraduate training and retaining specialised research expertise within the fresh produce sector.

Earlier impact assessments identified another important benefit: PHI enabled cross-sector research projects that could benefit several fruit industries simultaneously, while also providing research support to smaller or developing horticultural sectors that might otherwise struggle to fund specialised post-harvest research independently.

The programme is particularly relevant in an industry heavily dependent on international trade. According to PHI, South Africa’s fresh fruit industry derives more than half of its income from exports and provides direct employment to an estimated 460 000 people. Maintaining product quality throughout increasingly complex and lengthy supply chains is therefore not only a technical challenge, but an important component of retaining market access and international competitiveness.

The FPEF’s latest invitation provides fresh horticultural industry associations with an opportunity to become involved in the next chapter of the programme and to ensure that future post-harvest research remains closely aligned with the practical technology challenges facing South African exporters.