Premier Foods begins consultation process as R1 billion Tulbagh cannery faces closure amid US tariffs and export pressures

Image: J StudiosSource: Getty ImagesA century-old canning town in the Western Cape is bracing for job losses after Premier Foods announced the planned closure of its Fruit Products Western Cape (FPWC) operation in Tulbagh. Over the decades, it grew into a major export hub under Del Monte Fruits South Africa, supplying markets across Europe and North America. From R1 billion asset to unsustainable operationRhodes Food Group (RFG) acquired the business in 2010, renaming it Fruit Products Western Cape and pouring hundreds of millions of rands into upgrades. The factory became part of Premier Foods earlier this year when the consumer goods group completed its R6.5 billion acquisition of RFG Holdings. Before the takeover, RFG had flagged to investors that its international division was under pressure from US tariffs, which made its products less competitive globally.