Text: Elise-Marie Steenkamp Last week, a diverse group of agricultural stakeholders gathered in Stellenbosch to discuss the future of pesticide regulation in South Africa. The Department of Agriculture (DoA) called for the colloquium, themed “Transforming Agricultural Regulatory Policy within the…
By Kara van der Berg A new phytosanitary facility dedicated to deciduous fruit will help improve access to new markets and maintain current ones for the industry. Hortgro approved and funded the building of a new phytosanitary research laboratory that…
Post-harvest expert Dr Cheryl Lennox discusses the challenges facing the industry and her vision for the Department. Dr Cheryl Lennox completed her PhD in plant pathology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal before first joining Stellenbosch University in 1991. In 1995,…
Hortgro is fast-tracking the process to get a new national qualification for horticultural supervisors and junior managers off the ground. Kyra-Kay Rensburg investigates. The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) qualification for Horticultural Foremen, an NQF4 vocational qualification, was…
HORTGRO spoke to Wolfe Braude, Agbiz Fruitdesk Manager South African deciduous fruit may have access to new markets in the coming years, thanks to two new trade agreements. In the meantime, however, a new tariff for fruit has been introduced…
Langkloof Representative: Neil-Pierre Strydom The Langkloof had an above-average harvest this year. For the first time in years, all farmers had enough water in their dams to see the season through. On the Western side of the Kloof, rain decreased…
Pictured: Juan-Ivan and Grant Smuts Brothers in farms … By Gerrit Breytenbach Those incredibly blue eyes are looking at me. Straight in the eye. Sorted, happy eyes, however, not icy eyes. I have just met Grant Smuts, the most senior…
Next Generation Series: Some prophets of doom believe farming is on its way out (because farmers are a threatened species, they say). Finding a farming concern going stronger than ever after six generations cast a different light. Gerrit Rautenbach visited…
By Kandas Cloete & Tracy Davids While the combined turnover value of the pome and stone fruit industries remained stable at R19.7 bn year-on-year, and, business confidence improved, several producers are yet to recover from the losses accumulated over the…
Deciduous Fruit Industry recently decided to award excellence for transformation efforts. Transformation Awards 2022 took place on 31 March at the Technopark Protea Hotel, Stellenbosch. Here is the speech by Hortgro Chairperson, Nicholas Dicey: HORTGRO, the national umbrella industry service…
Nigel Klaasen, a junior production manager on the farm Fruitways Glen Elgin in Elgin, was announced as the 2022 Western Cape Prestige Agri-Awards winner at the annual gala dinner held on Saturday, 5 November 2022, at the Grandwest Complex in…
Deur Kara van der Berg Die droogte wat die Klein-Karoo in 2016 getref het, is vir baie sagtevrugteprodusente van die streek langs die R62 nog nie verby nie. Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn en De Rust tel onder dorpe wat…