Maximum residue limits (MRL) are a globally accepted tool in the food safety basket. It offers consumers a guarantee that fresh produce is safe for human consumption. The traces of pesticide found on treated products are called residues, and MRLs, which may differ per country, set the highest legally tolerated level for these residues. Adhering [...]
While few traders wish to go on record, many agree: it’s been a memorably bad season for South African citrus in Russia – even “horrific”, in the opinion of an experienced trader. Ironically, the season started off well when South African Satsumas met a market short on soft citrus during the hemispheric transition period. Receivers [...]
In its bi-annual awards to innovators and leaders in the plastic recycling industry, the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) named PalletPlast the overall winner in recognition of the fruit pallets the company has been manufacturing for less than a year (following years of research). The fruit pallets are manufactured from recycled PET, incorporating a [...]
The table grape harvest has kicked off in the Orange River with both white and red seedless varieties. This area produces approximately a third of South Africa's grapes. Their season seems between five and seven days ahead of the usual schedule and the region's cooler weather is aiding colour development, the South African Table Grape [...]
Agri Western Cape welcomes the announcement by the Western Cape Cabinet recently that R50 million is being made available to assist livestock producers in the drought stricken areas of the province. Mr. Jannie Strydom, CEO of Agri Western Cape, says the Western Cape government has been nothing but supportive since the onset of the drought. [...]
South African apple orchards seem to have a propensity for Gala mutations. Cultivar management company TopFruit is now introducing one with striking commercial potential: a cherry red apple, named Bingo Gala. Seven years of trials have confirmed the genetic stability of the apple which in other respects such as taste, yield and harvest period doesn’t [...]
Emerging black farmers in South Africa are set to benefit from a multibillion-Rand fund set up by businessman Patrice Motsepe. Motsepe said this during the African Farmers Association of SA (Afasa) agribusiness transformation conference in Bloemfontein over the weekend, where he also added that the fund will focus on assisting those in agriculture, agribusiness and [...]
Agri SA congratulates its board who have been elected at the 2019 Congress. The board is representative of the entire agricultural value chain, including Agri SA’s provincial affiliates, commodity organizations and corporate members. “It has been a tough year, but the agricultural sector is resilient,” said Dan Kriek, re-elected Agri SA President. “The Board is [...]
The month of June saw the commissioning and opening for business of the latest cold storage facility from SAFT (Southern African Fruit Terminals) a subsidiary of the Belgium owned SEA-invest Group. The 5 500 pallet capacity facility occupies 17 105m2 under roof on one section of a 70 120m2 site in Abland’s rapidly developing Atlantic [...]
Throughout South Africa fruit and vegetable crops are experiencing the effects of drought and a concomitant vulnerability to stress factors. In the absence of more water or fertilisers, farmers are increasingly looking at harnessing the positive power of beneficial nematodes, which have for a long time only had a bad reputation. Tylenchulus semipenetrans, a parasitic [...]
