The Izithelo Media Award for outstanding journalism in and on the deciduous fruit industry is to ensure continuous, constructive engagement between the fruit industry, its stakeholders, and the media. The winner is selected based on the following: Strategic media coverage…
Dit is met groot waardering, dankbaarheid en respek dat ons die Hortgro Voorsitterstoekenning aan Louis van Zyl gee. Louis se loopbaan in die Suid-Afrikaanse kern- en steenvrugtebedryf strek oor meer as ’n kwarteeu en word gekenmerk deur visie, rentmeesterskap en ’n…
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…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp Rawsonville. – The South African economy has endured a turbulent few years marked by rolling power cuts, failing infrastructure, spiralling costs, and a volatile global backdrop. While there are glimmers of progress, both domestic and international headwinds…
Text Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay Consumer demand for sustainably produced fruit and investor preferences for ESG-compliant businesses are reshaping farming practices worldwide. In South Africa, fruit growers have consistently been at the forefront. As early as 2008, the fruit and wine industries…
Hortgro has launched two new platforms to help keep industry stakeholders informed: The Quick Identification Guide for Key Phytosanitary Pests of South African Deciduous Fruit and the Postharvest/Packhouse Action Group App. Dr Shelley Johnson compiled the Phyto ID Guide several years…
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…
Text: Lucille Botha Amoré Viljoen (34) is a trailblazing female producer managing Lakeview Farm – a 100% black-owned apple and pear farm – with vision, grit, and a deep love for the land. Nestled just outside Villiersdorp in the EGVV…
Text: Lucille Botha André Kritzinger (28), owner and general manager of Tulpieskraal Boerdery in the Langkloof, has been named the Eastern Cape Young Farmer of the Year for 2025. For Kritzinger, the recognition is a significant milestone. “I’ve always looked…
Text: Elise-Marie Steenkamp and Alisa Farr. Pictures: Alisa Farr The R62 Growth Initiative Strategy (R62G) project, with five weather stations donated by Hortgro, illustrates how the agricultural sector utilises microclimate weather data to understand and mitigate climate change in the…
Mark Boerlage farms on the 40 ha farm Sparrenburg, just outside Ceres, with a small team, but he is doing big work when it comes to mentoring. Text and pictures: Gerrit Rautenbach It takes a special kind of person to…
Deur Elise-Marie Steenkamp Die Koue Bokkeveld Opleidingsentrum (KBOS) het weereens ’n waardevolle bydrae tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling in die Witzenberg-streek gelewer deur die aanbieding van praktiese Nutsman/Vrou-werkswinkels. Hierdie inisiatief, wat reeds in 2024 afgeskop het, het ontstaan uit frustrasies in die gemeenskap…