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…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp Hortgro’s 2026 Bursary Function celebrates the young people shaping the industry’s next chapter There is a particular kind of optimism that runs through South African agriculture — the belief that no matter how hard a season has…
Get it identified at Blue Bug Diagnostic Service. By Anna Mouton Effective pest control starts with knowing exactly what you are fighting. Incorrect assessment of the cause of damage can lead to expensive errors in pest management. This risk is…
A state-of-the-art Tissue Culture Facility (TCF) was opened by Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, at Bernheim Farm, outside Paarl, yesterday. This initiative driven by the South African deciduous fruit industry is an effort to keep up with…
Last year, AgriSA approached Hortgro to get involved with Meer as Grond, a television show that is broadcast on VIA, kykNET. This programme by the production house, Brand Republic, has the seasoned radio and television personality Lynette Francis-Puren as the…
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…
Somerset West – Hortgro is proud to announce Jaco Wolmarans as the winner of the Hortgro Photo Competition 2026, following an impressive response of more than 260 entries from across South Africa. Jaco received his R10 000 cash prize at…