South African apple growers and exporters are overjoyed that Thailand has again opened its doors to South African apple exports. Since market access was lost many years ago, it has been a long wait and a lot of behind-the-scenes work,…
Somerset West — The annual Hortgro Awards brought together leading figures from the pome and stone fruit industry on Friday, 11 September 2026, for an evening of celebration at the Lord Charles in Somerset West. This year’s function introduced two…
By Gerrit Rautenbach Johann Engelbrecht, a skills development guru in agriculture, has been the Skills Planning Manager of the AgriSETA as well as Chief Operating Officer, amongst a host of other achievements. With Anton Rabe also being on the…
Over the last five years, it has become clear that focusing on the positive yields even better life skills outcomes for farm workers. By Gerrit Rautenbach The Fruit Workers’ Development Trust (FWDT) is a 100% BEE entity, as defined by…
By Gerrit Rautenbach The A&B Williams fruit packaging and transport business in Elgin is owned and operated by four people. The two Williams brothers, Anges and Bevin, and their wives, Natalie and Danielle. The business has been active in the…
While we don’t know for how many years the Witte Wijn apple, the first-ever apple variety picked in the Cape in 1662, was lost, estimates by Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing’s sleuths suggest it may have been hundreds of years. Since returning…
(Summary extracted from a report by the Global Coalition of Fresh Produce)* Fresh produce—fruits and vegetables—is essential to a healthy diet, yet the industry that brings these foods to our tables faces significant challenges. Understanding the complexities behind costs, pricing,…
Tanja Hichert is a professional futurist who has helped an impressive list of clients — from the City of Cape Town to the World Bank — to identify ways in which to reach their preferred futures. By Anna Mouton. Hichert…
Ouplaas is an exceptional farm in the Witzenberg Valley. More impressive is that many of the inhabitants are runners. No, not running away, but running to be better at what they do. Breaking records in all sorts of events. Maybe…
As a rule, most farmers are keen to provide adequately for their workers, especially when it comes to housing. Because a happy homer is a hard worker. Yet, to get to the honeypot, it’s best to follow the guidelines. By…
No one can predict the future. But can we identify actions that we can take today to shape a better tomorrow? By Anna Mouton. Hortgro recently contracted professional futurist Tanja Hichert to facilitate a foresight study for the pome- and…
Stellenbosch University, HORTGRO and the ISHS are proud to announce that the XIV International Pear Symposium will take place from 22-26 January 2023 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The XIV International Pear Symposium will offer a great opportunity to exchange the…