Consumer needs?

Last week, I wrote about the enormous amount of food wasted on our planet daily. The statistics are alarming, but numbers tell only part of the story.

Growing baby carrots

Almost everything that applies to growing ‘normal’ carrots falls away when you plant for the baby carrot market.

Positive growth for potato industry

I recently attended a Potatoes SA (PSA) Information Day at Patensie, not far from Port Elizabeth. The area is well-known for its citrus and potatoes, which seem to occupy all of the limited, open flat spaces available.

Marketing and presentation of your carrot crop

As with most commodities, presentation of the product has a disproportionate influence on the price received.

Other carrot leaf diseases

This week, I want to look at three other diseases that are very similar, but may need different products to keep in check. These are Cercospora, bacterial leaf blight and powdery mildew.

Ask your market agent

Have you ever spoken to your market agent about his or her ‘legitimacy’ as a commission salesperson?

Are you covered?

Producers send huge volumes of fresh produce to the markets – over three million tons a year at last count. A large proportion of this is either placed in cold storage or ripening chambers.

Know your leaf blight pathogens

When it comes to leaf blight, there are three species of Alternaria that carrot growers have to watch out for: A dauci, A radicina and A alternata.

Fresh produce markets – choose wisely

Last week, I wrote about how a group of visiting UK potato farmers said that we in South Africa needed to preserve our commission markets system.

UK Marketing agents envy us

Along with several other fresh produce sector colleagues, I recently had the pleasure of addressing a group of visiting UK potato farmers and traders hosted by Potatoes SA.

Carrot root diseases

Your carrot crop is looking good. You can almost hear the money cascading into your bank account. Then you harvest it – and all that profit vanishes.

Eelworms love carrots

By far the biggest carrot pest is the root knot eelworm (Melodogyne spp). In many other vegetable crops, these nematodes are not much of a problem, but in carrots they attack the very root that is marketed.

Fresh Produce global round-up

Occasionally, I like to break away from the norm and take a look at the bigger picture of fresh produce trading globally. Here are some snippets gleaned from recent industry publications.

Successful carrot fertilisation

Carrot fertilisation is very different to fertilisation in other vegetable crops. It’s crucial to understand this when evaluating a soil analysis prior to fertilising.

Markets need commitment

In last week’s column, I lamented the lack of formal training on markets. I was referring to market management and staff, not market agents, as they have a fully-fledged skills development programme.

Deeper roots, better carrots

Given the right conditions, a carrot’s extensive fine feeder roots can reach 3m into the soil. It’s important to know this, as it will change the way you treat both the soil and the crop.

Getting your carrot stand correct

Good carrot seed is expensive and it’s therefore important to provide optimal conditions for germination.

Markets training essential

I believe it was Mark Twain who said: “The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” His point was that “training is everything”.

Carrots – who said they must be orange?

The carrot – Daucus carota subspecies sativus – has been used by humankind for thousands of years. The vegetable’s wild ancestors look a lot different though.

Vegetables