South African exports are suffering as the country struggles with the near-collapse of its state rail and port company Transnet, Bloomberg reports. Citrus fruits set for export are insteading being transported to ports in refrigerated trucks before they are ripe, where they sit in queues of up to 400 vehicles.

Growing delays: Delays cost producers some USD 98 mn last season due to produce rotting before it could be shipped due to trucks being diverted to alternative ports further away, general manager for trade and markets at Hortgro Jacques du Preez told Bloomberg. South Africa is the world’s second-biggest exporter of citrus fruits after Spain shipping USD 1.84 bn worth of produce last year. Produce is chiefly shipped to countries in MENA and South Korea, Bloomberg adds.

OVER IN THE UK- Delays and communication problems at post-Brexit borders are causing food to enter the UK unchecked, UK border control agents told The Financial Times. Goods coming into the country from outside the EU are slipping through Sevington — a post to check UK imports post-Brexit — due to reduced or, at times, none existent checks, FT reports. Controversial food items — including fish and honey — are being cleared through the border, leading one agent to believe that the inspection system is not working efficiently.

Background: The issue was initially flagged by the newswire back in February, when it was warned that the UK would let in imported animal products from the EU without border checks if the country’s ports get overwhelmed by new post-Brexit border controls that came into force in April.

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