Agribusiness

South Africa’s municipal fresh produce markets connect those who grow our food with those who eat it, says Dr Justy Range, business development manager, Freshmark Systems. But there’s room for improvement!

North Africa is a market with rising incomes, a growing number of sophisticated consumers, increasingly open economies, and ever-greater Internet access. Cornelis van der Waal, chief research officer at Wesgro, spoke to Jeandré du Preez about trade opportunities in this region.

Science is increasingly finding ways to convert what was historically considered waste from agriculture, into beneficial products from renewable resources. Prof Annegret Stark outlines the opportunity that biorefining biomass presents for South Africa’s agricultural value chain, creating what she calls a ‘circular economy’ in which waste is continuously recycled.

End-of-season maintenance at packhouses and fresh produce processing facilities plays an integral role in food safety and should therefore be carried out systematically. So writes Linda Jackson, a director at Food Focus, which advises the local food industry on occupational health and safety, environmental management, and corporate social responsibility.

Kola le Roux has loved bees ever since seeing his grandfather’s hives in the eastern Free State more than 60 years ago. Today he manages more than 2 000 hives, from the Karoo to the Transkei, that produce an assortment of honey, including an organic variety derived from the cat-thorn or drogie bush.

When a group of Letsitele citrus farmers could no longer afford packaging material, they started making it themselves. Today, their business is a major industry supplier. By Alita van der Walt.

Aquaponics, which combines aquaculture and hydroponics, is increasingly becoming popular in many countries due to its ability to boost farm output and reduce waste. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Ruann Coleman of Eden Aquaponics about his experiences with this production system.

In 2013, Ceres Fruit Growers (CFG) installed solar panels on the roof of its controlled atmosphere rooms to reduce its load on the municipal grid. Rahim Hassan, manager of engineering services at CFG, speaks about the importance of this decision.

Zandam cheese and piggery, in partnership with the green energy company, Ibert, recently established a biogas plant to convert waste from the piggery into electricity and heat. Piggery owner Mauro Delle Donne explains.

South Africa’s wine industry must shift its emphasis from volume to value and from a production orientation to a market orientation. This is according to Anton Smuts, the newly elected chairperson of Vinpro. He shared his thoughts on some of the pressing issues that currently prevail in the industry with Jeandré du Preez.

Alex Whyte, marketing manager of Green and Gold Nuts is convinced that the industry has potential for significant growth.

Stellenbosch University is acknowledged as a world leader in research on optimising packaging design for the fruit industry. Prof Linus Opara spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the university’s achievements in this regard, as well as the latest trends in the field.

The structural weakness of land reform in South Africa, coupled with a lack of clear goals, have left the process on shaky ground, according Danie du Plessis, TAU SA regional representative. Annelie Coleman asked him what needed to be done to get the process back on track.

In 2014, the Cederberg Tree Nursery produced 100 000 citrus trees a year. Two years later, after its acquisition by ANB Investments, the nursery produces more than 550 000 citrus trees annually.

When Roleen Basson started Darling Olives about 10 years ago, she didn’t even eat olives. However, today her business produces about 30 product lines, and the Darling Olives footprint will soon extend to supermarkets beyond the Western Cape.

Fynbos Fine Foods, owned by chilli lovers Rozelle and Julian Abramson, has grown from a small business to a prosperous product development and food production business. The operation’s chilli products are exported to various countries around the world.

Much controversy has surrounded South Africa’s poultry imports from the US. Freelance journalist, Peter Fabricius, examines this thorny issue and attempts to clarify some misconceptions.

Mkululi Pakade, director of East Cape Macadamia, has devised a business model that positions the Eastern Cape’s local communities firmly within the macadamia industry.

Mutton and lamb produced in South Africa are highly nutritious, and misconceptions that these meat classes are fatty and detrimental to consumers’ health must be allayed, says Marina Bester of Lamb and Mutton South Africa. She spoke to Annelie Coleman about the organisation’s campaign to promote mutton and lamb consumption.

With South African forestry currently recovering an average of only 47% of its potential timber yield for economic benefit, the industry is ripe for the widespread adoption of value-adding biorefinery technology. Dr Bruce Sithole, director of the Forest and Forest Products Research Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, explains how.