By Kyra-Kay Rensburg Stellenbosch. – The Hortgro phytosanitary laboratory, PHYLA, officially launched on 27 January 2023. The event was held at the new facility on Stellenbosch University’s Welgevallen Experimental Farm in Stellenbosch. The facility is managed by Dr Renate Smit,…
Load shedding and dispensation for loadout temperatures for apples and winter pears have been a major concern for the pome fruit industry. Now, in a pro-active step, the Packhouse Action Group (PAG) load shedding workgroup met recently to discuss the impact…
By Eddie Vienings and Dianca Yssel South Africa is a water scarce region of the world, receiving 40% less precipitation than the global annual average. The implications of this have become clearly evident in recent times – with almost all…
Deur Elise-Marie Steenkamp “Produsente het dikwels nie beheer oor wat buite hul plase gebeur nie. Daarom moet hulle ’n positiewe ingesteldheid oor die toekoms hê, want as daardie boompie in die grond gesit word weet ons dit is nog vyf…
While Pieter du Toit wraps up a notable career as Managing Director and now Chairman of the Dutoit Group, his lifelong passion for agriculture and commitment to excellence culminate in invaluable lessons for young and beginner farmers entering the agricultural…
Increasing difficulties with specifically fire insurance are giving many fruit industry stakeholders a headache. Alarming concerns include trends such as insurance policy cancellations or non-renewals and tripled premium rates for those seeking new policies; insurance companies willing to cover high-risk…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp As early as 2500 BC, Sumerian farmers used sulphur to control insects and mites on their crops, illustrating the long history of the use of chemicals in agriculture. Today, the drive to do away with agrichemicals has…
Background On 14 April 2022 the Registrar of Act No. 36 of 1947 published a letter informing agricultural remedy registration holders in South Africa of his intention to prohibit the use of agricultural remedies (products) that contain one or more…
Laetitia is the second-largest plum cultivar in South Africa according to 2020 figures for area planted and cartons exported. Unfortunately, it is also at high risk of heat damage because it matures late in the season. A recent Hortgro-funded project…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp Just as the logistical chain was recovering after the unrest mayhem, Transnet was hit by a cyberattack that brought the major South African ports in Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Durban to a virtual standstill. Transnet declared a…
The Interpera International Pear Congress took place in Tours, France from the 25th to 27th of June 2019. This congress was organized by AREFLH (Assembly of European Horticultural Regions) and the French Apple and Pear Association. The Congress included a…
By Carmé Naudé Bolzano, Italy – “Conscious decisions in all aspects of cultivation and production with the eye on the consumer of the future,” – this was the key message to delegates at Interpoma 2018. This 11th apple trade which…