By Carmé Naudé Mariette Kotze, Hortgro’s Group Operational Manager, was recently appointed to the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB), as representative of the pome and stone fruit industries. Kotze who has been working in the deciduous fruit industry for…
Are South African growers missing out? By Anna Mouton Global sales of organic food increased to nearly 110 billion euros in 2019. The positive impact of COVID-19 on the demand for organic food is expected to translate into even better…
It has come to our attention that sometimes growers entrust their product to exporters without a proper agreement. Please find below a template of what such an agreement should look like. Be sure to inform and educate yourself. Marketing Agreement…
Hortgro’s long-serving crop protection programme manager started his career with the inception of integrated pest management in South African orchards. By Anna Mouton. Although he was born in Johannesburg, Matthew Addison has deeper roots in the deciduous fruit industry than…
Deciduous Fruit Industry signs pledge to lead the way At the end of October, representatives from Hortgro Pome, Stone and the DFDC came together with the aim to align the industry strategy and to develop “an implementable, measurable, and future-focused…
Focus on women in agriculture: The Chief Director of Research & Technology Development at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture shares her story on how she landed her dream job. By Carmé Naudé Dr Ilse Trautmann was raised in the…
It is said that the fruit of the spirit is kindness. Klaus Booysen is a man that reflects nothing but kindness. That’s why, no matter what life dished out to him, he has always been able to walk the walk…
By Kyra-Kay Rensburg Lona Odendaal has managed to secure 27 internships within the fruit industry, and more than half have gone on to complete graduate programmes and secure work within the industry. What is Odendaal’s recipe for success? She is…
The Department of Labour says the new minimum wages for employees in the farm and forestry sectors are set to increase by 5.6%. The new minimum wages will come into effect from 1 March 2018. The minimum wage will increase…
Mishkaat Anderson has been appointed as the new General Manager at Culdevco Pty Ltd in Stellenbosch. Anderson follows in the footsteps of Dr Leon von Mollendorff who was at the helm of the marketing and licencing company for the South…
Human trafficking, bonded and forced labour, are not unknown in South Africa and often involve labour migrating from other SADEC (Southern African Development Community) countries. In the agricultural sector, however, conditions and good legislation make it very difficult to exploit…
