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…
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…
“Agriculture holds the key to the future of this country. It has the potential to resolve and unlock many of our most pressing problems, such as land reform, food security, job creation, and how to manage climate change, to name but a few. “
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp To make water management institutions work, you must understand your resource. When and who uses it, but over the past two decades South Africa’s capability to manage its water resources has declined. This was the message from…
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…
A new approach that could transform agriculture in the region is gaining traction. Jorisna Bonthuys takes a look at regenerative agriculture and how it relates to the horticultural sector in the article: Rooting for a sustainable future – Unlocking regenerative farming…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…