The deciduous fruit industry calls on all agricultural stakeholders to ensure the dignity and safety of agri workers when people are being transported. Stakeholders need to inform themselves of legislation and follow good practice guidelines. This is a serious matter…
Words by Wiehann Steyn I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in each of Japan, Australia and Ethiopia. The XIII International Plant Bioregulator Symposium held in Chiba near Tokyo was very well attended by South Africans. This should…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp Agricultural transformation and landownership have been serious political issues since the fall of apartheid. Over the years several programmes and projects were initiated, but transformation seemed like an optical illusion. It was there, yet it was absent…
The South African stone fruit industry has lost one of its most dedicated champions with the passing of Grant Smuts, Hortgro Stone Director and esteemed Robertson stone fruit producer. Grant was more than a leader in our sector — he…
Text: Elise-Marie Steenkamp The era of big data is upon us. And it is not just a fad, but will colour how we grow and guide business in future, says Carol Swarts Manager of Agri-Hub – the fresh fruit industry’s…
Nog ’n groep produksiebestuurders het hulle sertifikate ontvang na hulle leierskapsontwikkelingskursus wat deur Hortgro aangebied en deur Mazars gefasiliteer is. Dit is die tweede groep wat vanjaar die kursus voltooi het. Altesaam 16 produksiebestuurders van verskeie plase het aan die…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp In an attempt to facilitate a safe, protected and secure agricultural environment and farming community, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDA) shared a 12-point rural safety action plan at a recent stakeholder engagement session. This action…
By Grethe Bestbier At the start of a new year, many people reflect on the successes and failures of the past. For two of Stellenbosch University’s researchers, their successes were rewarded with research excellence awards. Prof Pia Addison and Prof…
Hortgro’s newest board member, Unati Speirs, has built an impressive resume during her 20-plus years in agriculture. Hortgro sat down with the farmer and businesswoman to find out who she was away from the boardroom. By Kara van der Berg…
By Jacques du Preez A Trade & Markets update – 20 April 2020 With the outbreak of the Coronavirus in November 2019 in China, we as the South African deciduous fruit industry, find ourselves in uncharted waters. What seemed to be…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp The impact of COVID-19 on the world, economy, and consumers can be equated to a meteor hitting earth. It has changed everything, but will those changes have a lasting effect? Local consumer reports indicate that people avoid…
One of the key economic drivers and objectives of the South African fruit and wine industries is to transform the agri-landscape in a sustainable manner by focussing on primary agriculture as well as the entire value chain – upstream and…