The show, held from 26 to 29 March, once again featured its popular pineapple competition, hosted by Summerpride Foods, South Africa’s largest pineapple processor. The company works with farmers across more than 4 500ha in the area, most of whom produce Cayenne pineapples for juice processing.
Bathurst’s claim to fame is its location. At 33,5 degrees south of the Equator, it is one of the southernmost pineapple-growing regions in the world. That cooler climate means the fruit takes longer to mature, which results in a “unique taste”.
The result is a pineapple with a balance of sweetness and acidity that has become a key ingredient in juice blends exported around the world. According to Summerpride, about 92% of the region’s production ends up in international markets.
The competition categories include: Best Plant Crop, Best Ratoon Crop (Ratoon crops are produced from Ratoons or suckers that emerge from the base of the plant after the primary harvest), Highest Brix (this is a measure of the total soluble solids (TSS) and affects nutrition and taste), Heaviest, Freakiest, and the Showcase category.
There was strong competition across all categories this year, with several familiar names appearing more than once on the winners’ list.
Litha Zithsu was one of the standout performers, taking first place in both the Best Plant Crop and Best Ratoon Crop categories, as well as winning the Heaviest pineapple class. The Fletcher family – Gary and Colin – dominated the Highest Brix category, claiming both first and second place.
Some categories brought a lighter moment to proceedings. The “Freakiest” pineapple class once again drew attention, with Lal Purdon taking top honours for an entry that stood out from the rest.
Mark Harris of Langholm Farms secured first place in the Showcase category, which highlights overall presentation and quality.
Results
Best Plant Crop
1st: Litha Zithsu (Lixo)
2nd: Litha Zithsu (Bingqala)
3rd: Keagan Thompson (Penninsula Park)
Best Ratoon Crop
1st: Litha Zithsu (Lixo)
2nd: Lal Purdon (Enterprise Purdon)
3rd: Mark Harris (Langholm Farms)
Highest Brix
1st: Gary and Colin Fletcher (Clifton)
2nd: Gary and Colin Fletcher (Clifton)
3rd: Keagan Thompson (Penninsula Park)
Heaviest
1st: Litha Zithsu (Lixo)
2nd: Richard Muir
3rd: Richard Byleveld (Trikwakwa)
Freakiest
1st: Lal Purdon (Enterprise Purdon)
2nd: Mark Harris (Langholm Farms)
3rd: Lal Purdon (Enterprise Purdon)
Showcase
1st: Mark Harris (Langholm Farms)
2nd: Richard Muir
3rd: Richard Byleveld (Trikwakwa)
For growers, the competition is more than just a chance to win. It’s an opportunity to benchmark quality, compare notes, and celebrate a crop that continues to put Bathurst on the map.
