Please note Hortgro’s Information Disclaimer on our Home Page. Hortgro owns the copyright of all content, and no information may be used or replicated without consent. Hortgro, representing the South African deciduous fruit (pome and stone) industry, has escalated its…
By Kara van der Berg Hortgro’s Dr Xolani Siboza’s first MScAgric student, Dian Craven, graduated from Stellenbosch University on 4 April. Dr Siboza is a Hortgro-seconded researcher in the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University where Craven conducted his study…
The ongoing dispute in the blueberry industry relating to intellectual property (IP) and related Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), is noted with concern. This is a private commercial matter and should be handled as such. Given the potential negative impact on…
Deur Elise-Marie Steenkamp ‘n Pakhuis is nie ‘n hospitaal nie en elke rolspeler in die waardeketting moet alles in hul vermoë doen om probleemvrugte uit die mark te hou. Dit was die beroep van Charl Stander, Hortgro Stone verteenwoordiger en…
FruitLook is a web-based tool that is informing farmers, consultants and researchers in the Western Cape since 2011. It used to be used primarily for monitoring the growth and water use of vineyards, hence, its original moniker of GrapeLook. Since…
Hortgro Resource and Sustainability Manager, Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay, shares her top 7 tips on how to become a more sustainable fruit grower: Have a long-term perspective: Long-term planning, continuous innovation and sufficient investment in research and development, adopting new technologies and…
People simply do not talk about their emotions enough. They focus a lot on practical matters, and the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic is having on the economy at large, yet do not divulge how it is affecting their own…
The Jobs Fund Initiatives is the Deciduous Fruit Development Chamber’s Commercialisation Programme. It started in 2016 and is aimed at graduating a group of smallholder farmers to commercial status. Hortgro and the DFDC-SA recently went on a monitoring and evaluation…
By Gerrit Rautenbach It doesn’t matter where or who you are, we all have the same essential drive. To not only make it, but also to make a difference. On a certain day in the Bokkeveld this universal truth was…
Text and Pictures: Elise-Marie Steenkamp Standing on a hill in Mpumalanga, overlooking the rolling green valleys of Zwelihle near Amersfoort, it’s hard not to think of Karen Blixen’s famous line: “I had a farm in Africa.” But for businessman and…
In the heart of Ceres, South Africa’s apple country, Robert Zulch stood out as a symbol of both tradition and innovation in agriculture. With a career spanning over three decades, Zulch became synonymous with high-quality apples and sustainable farming practices…
Three, two, one…Launch! Deadline for nominations has been extended to 15 January 2026 Hortgro hereby invites industry stakeholders to nominate suitable and interested individuals to apply for participation in the two-year Industry Launchpad – The Next-Generation Leadership Programme. The Industry…