Agriculture is one of the biggest employers of unschooled labour. Over the past ten years, the minimum wage has been amended substantially and rightly so, but as a sector, already under duress, with high input costs, global trade challenges, logistical…
By Engela Punt Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed being outside, despite my parents desperately teaching me otherwise, I outright believed I was raised in a barn. In hindsight, agrisciences might have always been in my future. I mean it fits…
By Gerrit Rautenbach Just over a decade ago the Executive Director of Hortgro, Anton Rabe, had a brainwave. He was pondering that, although agriculture is a business about producing food, it is in essence all about the people producing the…
Women still make up a smaller proportion than men in the agriculture industry in South Africa, especially in managerial positions. According to StatsSA, although women account for 43.4% of the total employment in agriculture only 33.1% of those who work…
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 Kara van der Berg A new phytosanitary facility dedicated to deciduous fruit will help improve access to new markets and maintain current ones for the industry. Hortgro approved and funded the building of a new phytosanitary research laboratory that…
By Kara van der Berg Hortgro’s Dr Xolani Siboza’s first MScAgric student, Dian Craven, graduated from Stellenbosch University on 4 April. Dr Siboza is a Hortgro-seconded researcher in the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University where Craven conducted his study.…
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…
This is the fourth interview in the series about the Hortgro Science post-grad students. By Thomas Davidson. Dian Craven is a 24-year old student at Stellenbosch University doing his M.Sc in horticulture. He recently finished with data collection and is…
This is the third interview in the series about the Hortgro Science post-grad students. Buhle Ngidi told her story to Thomas Davidson. Buhle Ngidi was born in Doordrift and grew up in Jamestown. When she was little the family moved…
The Koue Bokkeveld is one of the biggest and most important deciduous fruit-growing areas in South Africa. Going up the Gydo Pass you find Op-die-Berg, the heartbeat of this industry at the top of the Skurweberg. Gerrit Rautenbach gave them…
Over the next couple of months, we will introduce you to several of the Hortgro Science post-grad students. This is the second interview of the series with Portia Solomon, who told her story to Thomas Davidson. My name is Portia…