State throws pineapple industry a lifeline

“We won’t allow existing agriculture entities to collapse,” Eastern Cape agriculture MEC Gugile Nkwinti said as he announced funds would be made available to avert disaster in the province’s pineapple industry. During a meeting attended by various stakeholders in Bisho in December, a technical committee of pineapple growers, workers and the agriculture department was tasked to investigate the crisis and report back to the department. The industry was hard hit when high levels of cadmium halted its Swiss exports, after farmers had used a Chinese-manufactured fertiliser. – Mike Burgess