Garlic Growers Weigh Statutory Levy Ahead of Duty Expiry

The South African Garlic Growers Association is investigating a statutory levy to replace its voluntary 0.5 per cent levy as antidumping duties on Chinese garlic approach expiry.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Organic Food

Freshly harvested white garlic bulbs rest on dark soil in an open South African field beside a plain wooden crate, with dry grassland stretching into the distance. — The South African Garlic Growers Association weighed a statutory levy in Pretoria on 15 October 2025 as antidumping duties on Chinese garlic near their February 2027 expiry. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The South African Garlic Growers Association, at its conference in Pretoria on 15 October 2025, considered replacing its voluntary 0.5 per cent levy with a statutory levy covering growers, importers and processors. The association said it will not pursue an extension of existing antidumping duties on Chinese garlic, which expire in February 2027.

Why it matters

The proposed statutory levy would direct about 70 per cent of its revenue to industry activities, changing how the sector funds its work. With antidumping protection set to lapse, growers face rising competition from imports and concerns about smuggling and falsified country-of-origin documents.

Between 2023 and 2025, national fresh produce markets traded 4.56 million kilograms of garlic worth R262 million, with Johannesburg accounting for 60 per cent of volume and 55 per cent of revenue. Imported garlic's share of the market climbed from 11.3 per cent in 2023 to 17.4 per cent in 2025, while the outcome of the levy proposal remains undecided.

The players

South African Garlic Growers Association

The industry body representing South African garlic growers, which coordinates levy funding and sector development.

The details

The association is investigating a shift from its voluntary 0.5 per cent levy to a statutory levy. It is also testing imported garlic varieties across growing regions and working with research institutions to restore virus-free planting material programmes.

15 October 2025: The association's conference is held in Pretoria, where the levy proposal is discussed.
February 2027: Existing antidumping duties on Chinese garlic expire.

Market Landscape

The garlic sector's reliance on antidumping duties against Chinese imports is nearing its end in February 2027. Imported garlic's rising share of the market, from 11.3 per cent to 17.4 per cent, shows the competitive pressure growers face once that protection lapses.

For consumers, the outcome could influence the price and origin of garlic on South African shelves as imports gain share. Growers and importers may face new levy obligations if the statutory proposal is adopted.

The takeaway

Watch how the garlic sector funds itself and responds to import competition before the antidumping duties lapse in February 2027. Shoppers buying local garlic can look for origin labels as the market shifts.