Being successful is not only about who you know, but also how much you know. The name Hortgro Skills Accelerator Project (HSAP) was coined when Hortgro approached the Jobs Fund to collaborate and assist previously disadvantaged farmers in acquiring farming…
In 1997 Anton Rabe and Brian Barnes got on a plane to meet with Thoko Didiza, the then Deputy-Minister of Agriculture – to lobby for DAFF support for an area-wide integrated pest management project. The support came sometime later with…
Joy Van Biljon is one of the founder members of the Koue Bokkeveld Training Centre in the small village of Op-die-Berg in the Koue Bokkeveld Region. Since 2000 this training centre has been the cornerstone of skills development and training…
“Industry high standards, agility, and resilience made quick adaptions possible.” During Week 25 of the current pome fruit season, there was a marked increase in apple exports. This in contrast to previous weeks where the impact of Covid-19 played havoc…
“The world has surely become a funny place if one can no longer simply reach out for a handshake, without thinking twice about it or having to sanitize afterward. It’s such a small, basic gesture that is part and parcel…
Caption: The Witte Wijn Appel as captured by artist Karel van Biljon in Buks Nel and Henk Griessel’s book: Apples in the Early Days at the Cape. For the first time in hundreds of years, the progeny of the…
By Grethe Bestbier For Dr Esmé Louw, newly appointed chair of the Stellenbosch University Department of Horticultural Science, the chance to make a real and tangible impact in the industry is just one of the things that excite her about…
It is with profound sadness that the South African Deciduous Fruit Industry has learnt of the passing of one of its “elder statesmen” – Alastair Moodie. Moodie, known as a problem-solver and innovator, stepped down as chairman of the prominent…
Tienie du Preez, Deciduous Fruit Innovator of the Year 2015, and well-known consultant passed away, yesterday. HORTGRO salutes Tienie and acknowledges the substantial contribution he made to our industry over the years. We share a story about Tienie’s involvement with…
Text: Grethe Bestbier What Worked Well, and Why? The success of this block is mainly the result of a combination of three factors: a good soil, a plum tree-filled environment and an early-blooming cultivar. While many plum growers struggle with…
The 1662 Award is special, and you may wonder where it originates and what 1662 refers to. On 17 April 1662, the first two apples were picked in the Company’s Garden at the Cape. They were Witte Wijn Apples. This…
The 1662 award commemorates the first apples that were harvested in the Company Garden at the Cape in that year – 17 April to be exact. Joy van Biljon, one of the founding members of the Koue Bokkeveld Training Centre,…