Tzaneen (South Africa) (AFP)

Flashes of light pierce the dark night.

On board large pick-ups, slowly, private guards patrol the avocado fields of a South African farm, a "green gold" that has become the target of large-scale thefts.

At the wheel, eyes narrowed on the hundreds of avocado trees more than two meters high, carefully aligned, Marius Jacobs draws on his cigarette.

"There are more and more thieves, they load whole trucks," he breathes.

The looting of orchards in recent years can be counted in thousands of tonnes and losses in millions of euros for South African producers.

The boom in avocado consumption, particularly in the United States and in Europe, has caused the prices of this confirmed star of plates to explode, the price of which on these markets can climb up to 10 euros per kilo.

At the end of the southern summer, in the farms of Limpopo (North), the branches are heavy, loaded with fleshy dark green fruits, ready to be harvested ... And the villainous raids are multiplying.

Marius Jacobs' teams manage the security of around twenty farms, most of which specialize in growing the precious oleaginous fruit.

Thieves caught in the act are hunted down in the dark by dogs, neutralized and handed over to the police.

Up to 30 tonnes can be stolen in a single night.

"We caught a full minibus," said a guard, Manuel Malatjie, 28.

"We're doing our best, but it's getting difficult."

- "Organized flights" -

On the 250 hectares of orchards of the Allesbeste farm, the seasonal workers get busy for the start of the harvest, before the midday heat comes knocking them down.

Edrean Ernst, 40, does the accounts: he foresees 14,000 euros of losses this year due to thefts.

Despite the millions spent on security personnel and fences, some of them electrified.

A significant cost, even when business is booming.

Over the past two years, the property, which exports 1,500 tonnes of avocados per year, has been targeted twenty times.

In this rural area with wide expanses overlooked by hills, neither the police nor the guards can effectively cover such large areas.

"It plays into the hands of the criminals," laments the farmer.

The perpetrators of petty theft quickly turned into organized gangs.

The looters act at night, operate quickly and target premium fruit intended for export, mainly to Europe.

"Some come with big machetes," describes Phillip Mofokeng, who runs two 83-hectare fruit-laden orchards.

"It's a cat-and-mouse game," says Ernst.

With increased security, thefts decrease ... before resuming after a few months.

And with the Covid-19 pandemic, some properties have been forced to reduce costs by cutting their security budget, to offset losses linked to the health crisis.

- "Not taken seriously" -

In a market near Tanzeen, 400 km north of Johannesburg, each batch of avocados bears a bar code to trace its provenance.

A way to fight against trafficking.

Mauritz Swart, in charge of controlling goods in the market, spotted the small pieces of stems at the top of each fruit.

Thieves, in their haste, usually tear off avocados, leaving a hole that exposes them to fungus and premature oxidation.

Easily spotted for a trained eye.

Further along the side of the road, fillets of avocado hang over tin stalls.

The fruits are visibly holed.

At 1.70 euros per kilo, they are six times cheaper than in supermarkets.

They come from a neighboring "market", assures the seller.

“These sellers are flooding the informal market” and affecting prices and demand, explains Mr. Swart.

But in a circuit with many intermediaries, it is difficult to go up the channels.

And "the police do not take it seriously (...) It is not a murder, just a theft of lawyers", regrets Mauritz Swart.

"We are not sitting idly by," Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, spokesman for Limpopo police, told AFP, explaining that thefts often go unreported.

For farmers, the issue goes beyond the mere shortfall: the activity represents jobs.

But above all, avocados torn before they are ripe will never become "beautiful and soft", regrets Mr. Ernst, worried to see consumers end up turning away from this dish.

© 2021 AFP