By Elise-Marie Steenkamp The deciduous fruit industry is almost totally dependent on a healthy honeybee population and a viable beekeeping industry. It is therefore important that beekeepers and the industry regularly engage and share future challenges and growth projections. Mariette…
By Elise-Marie Steenkamp Transformation and economic reform in agriculture are some of the biggest challenges that South Africa faces today and that is why the Deciduous Fruit Development Chamber’s commercialization programme, the Jobs Fund Project (JFP), is such a beacon…
Deur Elise-Marie Steenkamp Snags, terwyl ander slaap, lê die vrugteboere van die Klein-Karoo wakker. Hulle tob oor die pad vorentoe. By watter boorde moet hulle die krane toedraai? Watter blokke moet gered word? Watter moet afgekap word? Indien hul heraanplant,…
Deciduous Fruit Industry signs pledge to lead the way At the end of October, representatives from Hortgro Pome, Stone and the DFDC came together with the aim to align the industry strategy and to develop “an implementable, measurable, and future-focused…
By Engela Duvenage “Our mission is to enable upcoming farmers with the necessary skill, knowledge, and tools to prosper,” says Mariette Kotze, Hortgro’s group operations manager. Numerous recent documents and reports have allowed the pome and stone fruit industry to…
Ten noticeable years of transformation The Pome and Stone Fruit Industry have put their money where their mouths are since 2010 regarding transformation and sustainable development. Over the last 10 years, transformation initiatives refocused on training, worker welfare, skills development…
By Carmé Naudé Mariette Kotze, Hortgro’s Group Operational Manager, was recently appointed to the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB), as representative of the pome and stone fruit industries. Kotze who has been working in the deciduous fruit industry for…
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…
Text: Glenneis Kriel The South African deciduous fruit industry, the Jobs Fund, and Land Bank recently launched Hortfin – an R600 million ring-fenced debt fund aimed at providing innovative and comprehensive financing and support systems in a manner that will…
Mariette Kotze, Hortfin’s interim manager, spoke to Smile904FM on The Honest Truth about the Hortfin project. Listen to Mariette here: Watch a short video about Hortfin here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjIi_oCi6xM Pictured above the Hortfin Board: Willem Bestbier, Rico Basson, Beverly Farmer, Sunil Kooverjee,…
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…