By Minette Karsten The 23rd Congress of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA) took place in Stellenbosch between 12 and 14 July 2023. The congress was organised by a team of entomologists at Stellenbosch University (Profs. Pia Addison, John…
By Engela Duvenage For the past 18 years, researchers at Stellenbosch University (SU) have studied a selection of nematodes found naturally in South African soils. In the process, they have identified quite a few such roundworm species that could be…
Die visie van Ceres-produsente het ’n blywende erfenis aan die hedendaagse vrugtebedryf en Ceres-gemeenskap gelaat. Deur Anna Mouton. In 1922–23 het Suid-Afrikaanse vrugte-uitvoere vir die eerste maal 1 miljoen houtkissies in ’n enkele seisoen oorskry. Vrugteprodusente het die noodsaaklikheid van…
Chester Fisch made everyone feel the music when he won Agri’s Got Talent 2024 (AGT 2024) on Friday night, 11 October, at Dawn Mountains, Simondium, with the famous Michael Jackson hit “The Way You Make Me Feel.” It was not…
Hortgro’s first Daan Strydom Research and Technical prize is awarded to Henk Griessel in recognition and appreciation of a career dedicated to the deciduous fruit industry in the field of postharvest quality of pome fruit. Henk lectured at the University…
Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay, Hortgro’s Resource Management & Sustainability Manager is gathering knowledge on the current state of sustainability, its challenges and how Hortgro can contribute from a production and postharvest perspective. Throughout July, Nitasha has visited numerous farms and packhouses. A…
By Gerrit Rautenbach In January of this year, one of the biggest nightmares for any fruit farmer became a horrible reality in the Langkloof. Hail. Some farmers were fortunate, some less so and some got wrecked by the falling ice…
Text and Pictures: Elise-Marie Steenkamp A pioneering blended finance partnership between the UK Government, South African development financiers, industry bodies and implementing agencies is demonstrating how collaboration can unlock commercial opportunities for farmers in Mpumalanga, helping to build alternative economic…
Hortgro, the deciduous fruit industry body of South Africa, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Unati Speirs as a new board director. She will be taking over the vacancy left by Dr Mono Mashaba who served the industry…