AFRICA FRUIT MAGAZINE by Keith Coventry

We put you on the world stage.

The Joburg Market is a world leading fresh produce market and highly regarded as a price barometer for fresh produce in Southern Africa. Now, we are pleased to announce the launch of an online ordering system which offers international bulk buyers an opportunity to purchase fresh produce from Joburg Market, with all the grading, prices and shipping cost virtually, without the buyer having to visit the Market.The online ordering system is available as a link on the Joburg Market website to put your produce on the world stage.

TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE MARKET

CONTENTS Important fruit industry contacts

Stellenzicht - elegance rewarded

Hardest harvest in living memory

L’Oreal Unesco Women in Science Fellow

Hong Kong - Bipolar wine market

Irrigation of Bananas

Nuwe era vir Vroueforum

Distell buys stake in Brandphoenix

New CEO for WP Citrus Producers Forum

Global G.A.P. tour 2011

SA citrus exports 11 Dubai company invests in Maputo

SA to revialise bananas and citrus

Zeder bids for Capespan

AgChem verkoop belang aan Rolfes

Take a fresh look at the market

Season reefer container freight route re-instated 15 Safmarine launches iPhone application

Mozambique’s cashew harvest

SA Clementine harvest

CONTACT DETAILS OF ASSOCIATIONS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FRUIT INDUSTRY South African Citrus Growers Association PO Box 461, Hillcrest, 3650 Tel: (031) 765 2514 Fax: (031) 765 8029 Website: www.cga.co.za SA Avocado Growers Association (SAAGA) PO Box 866, Tzaneen 0850 Tel: +27 (0) 15 307-3676/7 Fax: +27 (0) 15 307-1564 Website: www.avocado.co.za Email: info@subtrop.co.za Banana Growers’ Association of South Africa (BGASA) C/o - ITSC Private Bag X11208, Nelspruit 1200 Tel: +27 (0) 13 755-2714 Fax: +27 (0) 13 755-2716 South African Litchi Growers’ Association (SALGA) PO Box 2321, Tzaneen 0850 Tel: +27 (0) 15 307-3513 Fax: +27 (0) 307-1511 Email: info@subtrop.co.za South African Macadamia Growers’ Association (SAMAC) PO Box 5094, Tzaneen 0850 Tel: +27 (0) 15 307-1520/6792 Fax: +27 (0) 307-1575 Email: info@subtrop.co.za South African Mango Growers’ Association (SAMGA) PO Box 2321, Tzaneen 0850 Tel: +27 (0) 15 307-3513 Fax: +27 (0) 15 307-1511 Email: info@subtrop.co.za South African Papaya Exporters Association (SAPEA) C/o ITSC, Private Bag X11208, Nelspruit 1200 Tel: +27 (0) 13 753-7000/7054 Fax: +27 (0) 13 752-3854 Pineapple Growers Association (PGA) (KZN) PO Box 332, Hluhluwe 3960 Tel: +27 (0) 35 532-0130 Fax: +27 (0) 35 562-0294

Editor - Tommy Patterson Layout - Keith Coventry Marketing & Advertising Robert J. Simpson - Tel/Fax: (011) 827 8590, Cell: 072 266 7051 Printed by: ABC Press, Cape Town Published by Patterson Publications cc P.O. Box 397, Sea Point, Cape Town 8060, South Africa Tel/Fax: (021) 434 6034 Cell: 0825623358 or 0836553651 email: pattersonpub@telkomsa.net

Pineapple Growers Association (PGA) (EASTERN CAPE) PO Box 35, Bathurst 6166 Tel: +27 (0) 46 625-0515 Fax: +27 (0) 46 625-0817 Email: pga@intekom.co.za South African Nut And Nut Products Information Centre - (SANNIC) MICS, Ms G Holy P O Box 212, Laezonia 0026 Tel/Fax: +27 (0) 12 669-0348 Cell: 072 458 4898 E-mail: gerda@mics.co.za AF page 1

ELEGANCE REWARDED IN GOLDEN TRIANGLE PINOTAGE FROM STELLENZICHT Stellenzicht winemaker Guy Webber, has seen his unwavering pleasure in Pinotage rewarded yet again - this time with a gold medal at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards for the 2008 vintage of Stellenzicht’s Golden Triangle Pinotage.

tellenzicht winemaker Guy Webber, has seen his unwavering pleasure in Pinotage rewarded yet again - this time with a gold medal at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards for the 2008 vintage of Stellenzicht’s Golden Triangle Pinotage. An avowed Pinotage-lover, he believes the appeal of this wine lies in its attractive “cedar and toasty oak scent, balanced by hints of ripe berries and touch of sweet vanilla”. Its tannins are “wonderfully ripe and integrated to leave a very friendly, unobtrusive and lasting finish”.

“Elegance is what I look for when making wine” he adds, in his typically understated way; “If you have good grapes, just treat them well and let them do what they naturally will do.” Nevertheless, he does concede the importance of nuanced blending to achieve his desired result. “After 19 months of barrel maturation, the different batches were blended and returned to wood for an extra three months, producing sweet characters echoed in the sweet ripe berry and prune flavours of the Pinotage. I think this has added a rich, plush, mouth-filling dimension.” The wine was aged in a combination of French, Eastern European and American oak barrels. The 2009 vintage of the wine, now on the local market, expresses the same integrity of pure Pinotage fruit as the 2008 but is slightly more restrained. The wine was matured in oak barrels for 21 months and after blending was returned to wood for an extra month. Webber says its full and rich flavours of stewed fruit on the palate pair extremely well with hearty home-cooked lamb and also with chicken curry. For those with a palate for traditional South African fare, he suggests matching the wine with meat and bean casserole served with “stampkoring”, or even with “smoorsnoek” and “korrelkonfyt”. A perfect companion for a cosy indoors winter’s evening and comfort food, the 2009 Golden Triangle Pinotage retails for about R82 a bottle

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VINTAGE HOLDS PROMISE DESPITE HARDEST HARVEST IN LIVING MEMORY “Short, sharp and brutal,” is the way Erhard Wolf, Distell’s chief grape and wine buyer, has described the 2011 Cape vintage. “Fortunately quality has not been compromised but from a logistical point of view, this has been an exceptionally difficult year. We have seen generally outstanding red and mostly good white grapes delivered to the cellars, despite setbacks brought on by very demanding weather conditions.

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If it weren’t for our access to vineyards so well-matched to location, good canopy management, our investment in technology to more accurately measure vine water status, ongoing research into identifying optimal ripeness and the flexibility in being able to source from vineyards across the Cape winelands, our crop intakes would have been dramatically reduced this year.” Wolf said that for Distell, crop levels were just 8% down on its annual average, whereas some producers had experienced a drop of as much as 30%. Although the harvest had begun in late January in line with most years, higher than average temperatures during February and March accelerated ripening significantly, with the harvest shortened by some three weeks. Weekend, dawn and twilight picking schedules had helped the growers to bring in the grapes timeously. “There is no disputing the impact of climate change. The 2011 vintage marks the third consecutive harvest characterised by higher temperatures outside the regular parameters, as well as unseasonal rains, dry spells and excessively strong winds, all of which have affected crop size.” Last year, crop sizes were down by 12% to 15% on 2009, he said. Wolf said that in the face of changing weather patterns, Distell was focusing on viticultural management techniques to bring down ambient temperatures around grape bunches to maintain good colour, acid levels and flavours. The company was also achieving flavour development at lower sugar levels in the fruit, which was helping to bring down alcohol levels in the wines. He added that the use of the Smart-Dyson vertical shoot positioning system in more of its vineyards had not only proved good for grape quality and improved yields but had helped to withstand the wind. Despite a cold winter that had given vines the chance to go into proper dormancy, rainfall had been some 20% to 40% lower than the long-term average, he added. This had depleted soil moisture reserves needed later during ripening. The cold weather, compounded by cold winds had continued into spring, at a time when the vines needed more sunshine. “Vine budding was adversely affected. Abnormal fruit set led to small and large berries occurring on the same bunches and yields were reduced.

“We could anticipate from early on that crops would be down and we were able to source from a range of top-quality vineyards across the Cape to compensate.” He said the next challenge had been posed by periods of above average temperatures during early January and again in February, but acid levels and flavours had not been compromised thanks to close management of the vineyards. “The higher temperatures could have caused excessive evapo-transpiration in the vines which would have impaired grape flavour development if we hadn’t had the protection of the leaf canopies to shield bunches from sunburn. Those normally dryland vineyards that had access to suitable water were able to employ supplementary irrigation but those without did suffer and crops were down. “This year, for the first time, we also had access to portable pressure chambers to gauge the leaf water potential in the vines as a basis for determining optimal irrigation strategies and so by knowing when to introduce irrigation and how much, we could better manage the health of the vines.” He said the viticulturists were in contact round the clock with the winemakers in determining viticultural management protocols and harvesting strategies. “Chardonnay picked before the extreme February heat delivered excellent fruit flavours, as did the Sauvignon Blanc picked earlier in the harvest. We were extremely lucky in the diversity of locations from which we source enabling us to meet our production needs at optimal quality levels. The Chenin Blanc was generally very good, although flavours this year are perhaps a little less pronounced than in recent years. “The reds fared well. Small berries with good skin to fruit ratios made for excellent colour. Flavours are also excellent and I think we can look forward to wines with good concentration of varietal character but perhaps softer tannins.” “Noble late harvest yields are definitely down because some of the areas from which we traditionally pick didn’t experience the morning mists so crucial to the formation of the botrytis cinerea fungus that causes the grapes to shrivel and produce flavours of great intensity. However, we have been able to source from other areas and we are extremely happy with quality overall.” Wolf said that to plan for the long term, the company was continually exploring new potential areas for vineyard development. “South African legislation does not constrain where we site our vineyards as is the case in many Old World countries. We still have land available and we are excited by the possibilities open to us.” AF page 3

L’OREAL UNESCO FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE FELLOW

eanne was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, and is currently studying towards a PhD in Agricultural Science at the University of Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Her strong outdoors-oriented upbringing and relentless curiosity to explore the world around her led to Jeanne pursuing a career in science. “Science and technology is the golden pathway through complex and interlinked global processes such as increased globalisation, fundamental shifts in economic and political power, environmental challenges, and social conflict. I want to be part of the solution and not the problem. I want to answer tomorrow’s questions, today. I believe that a career in science gives one the opportunity to do just that by expanding the frontiers of knowledge and developing sustainable solutions for a better future for all,” Jeanne says.

already been commercialised in Europe and the USA, little work has been done in this regard in Africa. The results generated from this research will therefore contributeto the development of a marketable product that will be available to local growers in future, and to the advancement of an innovative and integrated research field.

As such, this highly motivated 27-year“Winning this prestigious fellowship is old today holds a BSc in Agriculture both an honour and a major responsi(2002-2006), and an MSc in Agriculture, bility. It gives me the opportunity to set Cum Laude(2006-2008), both from the an example for University of Jeanne’s research will change younger girls on the Stellenbosch. brink of a career in the way fruit is farmed! science, and gives Jeanne’s current my research that extra edge through focus area is sustainable agricultural fruit international collaboration, which will now production in South Africa, particularly be made possible through the access to environmentally-friendly pest manageadditional funds. ment, in line with current fruit quality production standards and export regulations. “The international recognition that goes with this type of fellowship will also provide a degree of public exposure, which Her doctoral research aims to develop will hopefully make people realise just a microbial control agent (entomopathohow important research and science is genic nematodes) that can be used on to the world, in the face of current global a commercial basis for the biological transformation. It will also help demoncontrol of the codling moth, a devastatstrate that women too have the ability to ing insect pest that occurs in apple and achieve what so many people believe pear orchards worldwide. Such microbial can’t be done!” Jeanne adds. controlagents help to reduce the use of environmentally-harmful pesticides and indirectly, contribute to improved biodiversity in orchard-agroecosystems and safe fruit production in commercial orchards. Although these microbial agents have AF page 4

In her spare time, Jeanne enjoys mountain biking; swimming; running; surfing; travelling and investigating new cultures and places, both locally and abroad. She is also involved in community-devel-

opment projects, promoting the protection of the environment and naturally enjoys, “researching anything and everything!”

THREE PILLARS OF L’OREAL-UNESCO FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE PROGRAMME Three pillars of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme: 1. L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards: Only five women – one leading woman per continent - receive this prestigious award every year. They are called Laureates. 2. UNESCO-L’Oréal International Fellowships: 15 young women scientists (doctorate or post-doctorate) receive this fellowship annually. 3. L’Oréal–UNESCO National Fellowship Programme: These fellowships anchor the For Women In Science programme in 47 countries around the world where L’Oréal has a subsidiary, and thus assures the management and promotion of the programme. In 2010, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science partnership started a new and exciting chapter with the introduction of two For Women in Science Regional Fellowships; one in Sub-Saharan Africa and the other in Arab States. This new chapter is an extension of the National Fellowship programmes. The objective of the new Regional Fellowship is to bring support to young women pursuing scientific careers in dozens of other countries throughout the world where L’Oréal does not have a subsidiary.

HONG KONG IS A BIPOLAR MARKET FOR WINE Hong Kong is the Wall Street of Asia and the home of fine wine, deep pockets and big cellars, according to Debra Meiburg, a Master of Wine, international wine judge and consultant to producers trading in Asian markets.

he US-born wine specialist, who has been living in Hong Kong for the past 23 years, was addressing a group of local wine producers at a WOSA-hosted seminar in Stellenbosch earlier this month (May 13) about how to approach markets across the pan-Asian region. She urged producers to research their individual potential markets in the region very thoroughly and cautioned them to avoid thinking of Asia, which was home to 57 countries, as a homogenous entity. “Hong Kong is a bipolar market where people either routinely drink Bordeaux first growths and other fine wines at outrageous prices or buy low-end products. Now is the time for South African producers to enter the market as there is enormous growth potential for mid-priced wines.”

She stressed, however, that given the low barriers to entry, the Hong Kong market was very fragmented and populated by high numbers of agents and distributors. It was important to work with importers who were more than mere traders and had the ability to build brands. Hong Kong was also an important springboard to Mainland China. In China alone, where the population was fast approaching 1,4 billion people, there were 34 provinces, she said, each with its own diverse demographics. “Throughout the country over 100 dialects are spoken. There is no national cuisine, as is sometimes perceived by Westerners, and wine producers need to consider localised palate preferences in what they bring to market.” She said a mere 10% of China’s middle class drank wine but that the wine market was growing at a compound annual growth rate of 15%. “They may be very prestige-conscious but they are also price-

conscious. They are immensely brandloyal and although French wines enjoy the strongest support, there is a rising curiosity about other wine-producing countries on which South Africa can capitalise. “Don’t let low-end wines drive South Africa’s entry into China. Bring your highprofile, ‘rock star’ cult winemakers to the country and let them seed a reputation of excellence,” she said.

other national celebrations, as well as large-scale receptions for weddings and corporate events as providing marketing opportunities.

She added that education in China was greatly valued and that the people were highly receptive to learning about wine and the many fascinating narratives associated with individual producers. They were intrigued by Western lifestyle and luxury, and they also understood the typicity of origin, giving winemakers ample scope for communication.

It was critical to develop long-term relationships with business partners. “Many of the top-end French wine houses are sending their sons and daughters to court Chinese markets on their behalf because they recognise the importance of building personal ties to sustain their brands.”

While virtually all wine consumed in China

was red, she said there was a growing interest in sparkling wines and that there should be an opportunity to find ways of encouraging consumers to extend their repertoires by drinking white wines. “Currently whites are perceived as insipid but there could well be a way to change that and perhaps the conduit could be sea foods”. There were very few national Chinese distributors and producers should target specific markets within the country and find appropriate distributors. Second-tier cities where populations were frequently significantly larger than in many mainstream Western cities offered good potential. Producers could carve a niche for themselves by running cuisine-specific promotions. “Pick a dish and promote an appropriate wine as a way of engaging new consumers.” She highlighted gift-giving, festivals such as the lunar New Year, mid-autumn and

She did, however, suggest that local winemakers look at developing brand names that were easier to pronounce than many of those currently on international markets.

According to WOSA, China, including Hong Kong, accounted for just over 35% of the Asia-Pacific wine market value,

while Japan accounted for 22,5%. Meiburg said Japan was close to a mature market and one of the few in Asia where more women than men bought wine. With the Japanese tradition of celebrating events, South African producers could look at the idea of using a national South African holiday as the platform for promotional activity. She also identified South Korea as a wealthy, sophisticated, well-educated and fast-growing market. “Koreans are fond of German wines and Chilean winemakers are building a strong support base, thanks to a favourable bilateral trade agreement with the country.” South Korea represented 3,6% of the value of wine trade in Asia Pacific and India, 1,4% with the latter projected to grow by close on 150% within the next five years, according to WOSA’s figures. AF page 5

THE IRRIGATION OF THE BANANA PLANT

Before we can consider how much and how often the Banana should be irrigated, it is important to understand the requirement of the plant and the properties of the soil in which it is growing. By Koos Coetzee, Technical Advisor Ocean Agriculture, M.Sc. (Soil Science)

ananas are grown in the sub-tropical regions of South Africa although it is actually a tropical plant. With its huge leaves the rate of evapotranspiration from the leaf surfaces is very high, therefore the water requirements of the plant is also very high. The banana plant has a shallow (300 – 400 mm), poorly developed root system compared to most of the fruit trees and a poor ability to withdraw water from the soil. Furthermore, the banana plant is very sensitive to deficient water, especially during hot days with low humidity when evapotranpiration is high. Evapotranspiration of bananas in South Africa varies from 1200 mm to 1600 mm per annum. Understanding the plant-soil-water relationship, it is clear that the amount of water that has to be irrigated is not found by the simple arithmetic’s of evapotranspiration minus rainfall equals irrigation needed. Let us start by looking at what happens to water entering the soil at the surface due to either rain or irrigation. In this article, the complex physical forces present in the soil will not be discussed, but rather a factual breakdown of the consequences of different soil properties will be given. In a sandy soil the make-up of the soil particles are dominated by larger sand particles. Therefore, it is logical that the spaces between the solid particles (pores) will also be large and as we would expect, water will move faster into and through these large pores. However, these pores will have difficulty in hold-

ing the water against gravitation (water holding capacity) and therefore water tends to move right through the pores to deeper levels in the soil profile. How deep it will move depends on the amount of water that enters the soil at the surface. The other side of the coin is a clay soil made-up of soil particles dominated by small clay particles. The spaces between the solid particles will be small and we would expect water to move slowly into and through the small pores. These small pores will also hold more water against gravitation and therefore more water tends to stay closer to the surface of the soil. Therefore, more water will have to enter the surface of the soil before the water will reach the same depth as in a sandy soil. How will I know how much water is in the soil? Several instruments exist for the measurement of water content of a soil, of which the tentiometer is probably the most popular. However, an easy way that will also ensure that you will learn to understand the movement of water in the soil will now be explained. Take a soil sample one to two days after irrigation in close proximity of the sprayer or dripper. To minimise errors take a large sample of about half a kilogram. Weigh the sample immediately or seal it in a plastic bag with as little as possible air trapped in the bag, to prevent evaporation of water. Weigh the sample (Mt) and put the soil into a glass or ceramic container and heat in the oven until dry. Let it cool and weigh again (Ms). Now the following calculation can be attained: Mt – Ms = Mw Mt = total mass of the soil; Ms = mass of solid particles of the soil; Mw = mass of water in the soil. The gravimetric water content (ϴg) of the soil can now be calculated: Mw/Ms = ϴg (expressed in kg water/kg dry soil) To convert gravimetric water content to volumetric water content (ϴv), multiply by 1333 kg/m3 (average bulk density of a soil) and the answer will be expressed in litres water per cubic meter of soil. Remembering that one litre per square meter is one mm of water, thus litre per square meter = mm per meter soil depth. This is called the water content of the soil at water holding capacity (or field capacity). Now the same procedure can be followed to measure the water content at wilting point and the water content at field capacity minus water content at wilting point will then be the water available to the plant. As stated above, the effective root depth of the banana plant is only 300 – 400 mm and the ability of the plant to extract water from the soil is poor. Therefore, it is better to irrigate at 20% depletion of available water than the 50% that is usually used for irrigation scheduling. Irrigation scheduling for bananas will now be illustrated by means of an example:

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Total mass of soil sample 1 day after irrigation (Mt) = 0.500 kg Mass of soil sample after heating at 1000C (Ms) = 0.425 kg Mass of water (Mw) = 0.500 – 0.425 = 0.075 kg Gravimetric water content (ϴg) at field capacity = 0.075/0.500 = 0.150 kg/kg Volumetric water content (ϴv) at field capacity = 0.150 x 1333 = 200 kg/m3 = 200 ℓ/m3 = 200 mm/m Total mass of soil sample at wilting (Mt) = 0.500 kg Mass of soil sample after heating at 1000C (Ms) = 0.485 kg Mass of water (Mw) = 0.500 – 0.485 = 0.015 kg Gravimetric water content (ϴg) at field capacity = 0.015/0.500 = 0.030 kg/kg Volumetric water content (ϴv) at field capacity = 0.030 x 1333 = 40 kg/m3 = 40 ℓ/m3 = 40 mm/m Plant available water (PAW) = 200 – 40 = 160 mm/m = 53.3 mm/400 mm After depletion of 25% of the 53.3 mm = 13.3 mm, thus 13.3 mm have to be irrigated. If the irrigation system delivers 2 mm/hour, that means 6 hours 40 minutes of irrigation. Taking into account that bananas can extract as much as 6 mm per day from the soil, it is clear that irrigation should take place every two days under such conditions. Irrigation of 50 mm every 10 days will lead to either overor under-irrigation followed by drought stress decreasing yield. Furthermore, over-irrigation will lead to leaching of plant nutrients.

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NUWE ERA VIR KAAPSE VROUEFORUM

ie opleidingsprogramme en dienste van die Kaapse Vroueforum, ’n erkende opleidingsinstansie wat sedert die laat tagtiger jare opleiding en ontwikkelingsdienste in die landboubedryf aangebied het, word amptelik vanaf 1 Julie 2011 na ’n nuwe entiteit, Philani Training and Development Solutions NPC, oorgedra. Alle personeel is na Philani Training and Development Solutions NPC oorgeplaas en sal voortgaan met hul aktiwiteite en dienste aan kliënte en leerders aan wie hulle tot dusver hul portefeulje van dienste gelewer het. Volgens Mev Estelle Engelbrecht, Uitvoerende Direkteur van Philani Training and Development Solutions NPC, werk die Kaapse Vroueforum reeds vir etlike jare nie net in die “Kaap” en net met “Vroue” nie en dit is nie meer die “Forum” wat in die laat tagtigerjare gestig is en aanvanklik hoofsaaklik op die sagtevrugtebedryf gefokus het nie. Oor die afgelope twintig jaar is dienste nie net aan die primêre landboubedryf gelewer nie, maar ook aan ’n reeks ander sektore soos sekondêre landbou, gesondheid, voedselverwerkings-aanlegte en verskeie klein handelsbedrywe.

Die rasionaal volgens die Xhosa-taal is dat Philani “Gesond en geniet goeie lewe” beteken Philani Training and Development Solutions NPC se primêre fokus is op gesondheid van gemeenskappe, gesondheid en veiligheid in die werkplek en die welsyn van alle persone. Ander programme wat aangebied word, sluit sakebeginsels, lewensvaardighede, kleuterskoolonderwys en dienste soos oudits volgens wetgewing, opleidingsbeplanning en werkplekvaardigheidsplanne in. Nuwe programme waarop voortaan ook gefokus sal word, is Noodhulp en om lees- en skryfvaardighede van veral Afrikaanssprekende landelike gemeenskappe te verbeter. ‘n Ander funksie wat spesifiek aandag sal geniet, is mentorskap vir gesondheidswerkers op plase in samewerking met die Departement van Gesondheid in die Wes-Kaap. Wysigings met betrekking tot webtuistes en ander kontakbesonderhede sal binnekort versprei word. Vir verdere navrae of inligting, kontak: Estelle Engelbrecht (estelle@philani.co.za) Tel: 021 - 8832490, Faks: 021 - 8832491

DISTELL BUYS STAKE IN BRANDPHOENIX LIMITED

In a bid to further strengthen the already growing presence of its wine brands in the UK, Distell has acquired a significant stake in BrandPhoenix Ltd, the UK-based wine distributor. BrandPhoenix is the owner of FirstCape, the top-selling South African wine brand that currently holds third position in the UK retail market.

arina Gous, who heads the Distell wine business division, said: “By investing in BrandPhoenix with its balanced portfolio of international wine brands, backed by strong marketing, sales and logistics skills, we are confident we can advance our joint footprint in the UK. To harness the joint market collateral of FirstCape and Distell in particular will crucially go towards offering the UK trade a one-stop South African wine solution.” BrandPhoenix director, Greg Wilkins, added: “Having welcomed FMCG distributor SHS as a shareholder last year with its firepower as the UK distributor of FirstCape for convenience chain, Impulse, Distell brings additional premium quality brands such as Nederburg, Two Oceans and JC le Roux sparkling wines to our portfolio. Distell accounts for approximately one third of natural and sparkling wine production in South Africa.

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The relationship will also strengthen our wine supply base in South Africa.” Distell is the tenth largest wine marketer worldwide and trades on every continent. As part of its global expansion it is establishing strong trade and distribution networks in many parts of the world. Gous said: “While tough trading conditions have prompted many producers from all over the world to retreat from the country, we believe the UK, as one of the world’s major wine importers, still offers exciting potential and profitability if managed correctly.”

SOUTH AFRICA’S WESTERN CAPE CITRUS PRODUCERS FORUM NAMES NEW CEO Earlier this year, the Western Cape Citrus Producers Forum (WCCPF) announced the appointment of Suhanra Conradie as its new chief executive officer. Ms. Conradie replaces Joretha Geldenhuys, who served as the Forum’s CEO since August 2009.

“

Suhanra brings a wealth of knowledge in dealing with foreign markets, as well as expertise in all aspects of growth, distribution, and supply in the fruit export industry,” said Gerrit van der Merwe, chairman of the WCCPF. “With her in place, we expect to continue the development, expansion, and success of our position in U.S. market.” Ms. Conradie, who received a Bachelor’s of Commerce degree in accounting and economics from the Univeristy of Stellenbosch, most recently directed marketing, finance and sales efforts for Oceanic Fruit Exports in South Africa. Her role focused on bringing fruits from the farm, to packing house, to the final market destination, with daily interaction in various foreign markets in Europe, the U.K., and the Middle East. Prior to joining Oceanic, she held marketing and finance roles with Sunny Fruit Export Company and Kromco. In her role as CEO for the WCCPF, she will be based in Wellington, South Africa. “I am very excited to accept this role, which will enable me to fulfill a long-held professional desire to market South African citrus fruits in the United States, the most important market in the world,” Conradie said. “Consumption of South African summer citrus continues to grow as a welcomed category by U.S. consumers – something attributable to the high quality and delicious flavor consistent with fruit produced by our growers.” South African citrus exports to the U.S. began in 1999. All citrus bound for the U.S. from South Africa undergoes USDA inspections to ensure compliance with all U.S. regulations. South Africa is the second largest exporter of citrus in the world and produces 60 percent of all citrus grown in the Southern Hemisphere. Fruit bound for U.S. consumers comes mostly from the region near Citrusdal and Clanwilliam, the Northern Cape near Kimberly and the northwest along the Orange River, near Upington. The WCCPF is a consortium of 350 South African growers eligible to export summer citrus to the United States. Its purpose is to facilitate logistical, marketing and sales support coordination of their products. The consortium’s mission is to maintain and expand its role as the preferred supplier in the U.S., and to grow and ship the best summer citrus in the world to U.S. consumers. The WCCPF’s summer citrus growers only ship products to the U.S. that meet and exceed U.S.D.A. and U.S.F.D.A. protocols by rigorously adhering to self-imposed Seal-of-Approval Guidelines, guaranteeing their citrus fruits provide superior quality that is easy to peel, seedless, nutritious and safe. For more information, visit www.summercitrus.com or find South African Summer Citrus at www.facebook.com/summercitrus.

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GLOBALG.A.P TOUR 2011 South Africa spearheads GLOBALG.A.P in the region

For fresh produce producers GLOBALG.A.P. gives them, one standard and one audit, and the possibility to enter many different markets. More than 100,000 producers in 100 plus countries have chosen GlobalG.A.P because of this.

outh Africa has the largest number of GLOBALG.A.P certified producers in Africa – more than 1600. GLOBALG.A.P Certification is now a keystone for their strong export program worldwide. The event was well attended by a range of stakeholders from South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Martinique as well as South Korea and Europe who came to learn about the latest GLOBALG.A.P 4th Version and development projects. The day was opened by GLOBALG.A.P Chairman Nigel Garbutt who informed the participants about the status of GLOBALG.A.P implementation worldwide and how supporting an approach of “Thinking Global but Acting Local” was a key pillar of the organisation’s strategy.

who are building up to supply the growing national domestic markets. Garbutt added: „The feedback and requirements from the NTWGs will be incorporated much more into the other GLOBALG.A.P committees including the GLOBALG.A.P Board so we can facilitate capacity building at farmer level.“ It was also discussed how the GLOBALG.A.P Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP Program) will in future be coordinated closely with the Fruit South Africa Social Standard Programme. GRASP helps building awareness on social issues and can be carried out at the same time as a GLOBALG.A.P audit but does not form part of the certification requirements. It provides a complimentary approach to social auditing intitiatives with helpful tools to identify risks and areas for improvement whilst being a cost effective solution for the global primary agricultural sector.

More than 100,000 producers in 100 plus countries have chosen GlobalG.A.P

National and regional retailers are now beginning to align their local sourcing activities to global benchmarks. Especially GLOBALG.A.P`s newly developed program to integrate smaller emerging producers – called “Primay Farm Assurance” (PFA) which stimulated a lot of interest from regional retailers. These producers are building up to supply the growing national home markets in the region and welcome the step-wise approach of PFA towards full GLOBALG.A.P IFA compliance. Garbutt added “Once on the path towards safe and sustainable agriculture, it is much easier for each farmer or grower to respond to additional requirements that may be required to supply different global markets”. South Africa has a long tradition in participating in all existing platforms of GLOBALG.A.P with active and frequent involvement in GLOBALG.A.P`s international sector committee and an active National Technical Working Group (NTWG). During the day it became clear that GLOBALG.A.P is on the right track by strengthening its NTWGs in the region by supporting them in communication and training activities for local producers including those smaller emerging producers

In the coming months GLOBALG.A.P will also customize its range of training courses more to local needs and will work with the NTWGs and the National Public Authorities to build capacity for good agricultural practice particularly amongst the emerging producers. It was also agreed that learning points from the GLOBALG.A.P Integrity Program will be shared with the NTWGs and other GLOBALG.A.P committees to improve implementation of the standard in the region. Nigel Garbutt, explained the advantages of being GlobalG.A.P. certified, saying, “The standard is both practical for producers to implement being based on proven Good Agricultural Practices and is widely trusted and accepted by many buyers in the global market place for fresh produce. As a globally harmonised and widely consulted standard it is the most cost efficient option for a producer to demonstrate compliance with farm assurance standards to their customers on a business to business level.” Contact: Dr. Kristian Moeller, GLOBALGAP Tel: +49 (0) 2 21-5 79 93-25 Email: meifert@globalgap.org Web: www.globalgap.org

“South African producers are strong supporters of GLOBAL G.A.P, as a major exporting country they benefit from a harmonised standard and single audit which has wide acceptance amongst global buyers.” GlobalG.A.P is an open not for profit industry governed organisation. Certification is open to producers from any country in the world who can apply by contacting an approved certification body on the website www.globalgap.org AF page 10

SA CITRUS EXPORT FIGURES

ast month, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) announced its latest citrus harvest volumes, with the Russian market taking a good chunk of the country’s exports. CEO Justin Chadwick said the industry packed 14.3 million 15kg (33lbs) cartons of citrus fruit and shipped 10.1 million cartons. “Clementine harvesting has now passed the 1 million carton mark – the latest prediction is 2.5 million cartons,” he says. “Navel packing is starting to gain momentum with 2.6 million cartons packed to date – 1.2 million in the past week. Russia has once again proven to have a liking for southern African citrus with 35% of oranges, 26% of lemons, 19% of soft citrus and 16% of grapefruit shipped there to date. “The navel and Valencia focus groups met over the past week, and both adjusted their predicted volumes slightly downwards. In terms of total citrus volumes the latest prediction is 500 000 cartons less than the original March estimate.”

(by 100 000 cartons). Marsh grapefruit continues to decrease with only 1 million cartons packed to date (2009-1.6 m; 2010-1.3 m). The Lemon FG also decreased their prediction – this time by 200 000 cartons. Grapefruit shipments have followed the same pattern as 2010 – N Europe 42%; Japan 26%; Russia 14% and UK 5%. Soft citrus has mainly gone to the UK (2011: 44%; 2010; 40%); N Europe and Russia have both taken 19%, Middle East 5% and US 3%. Navel shipments to Russia are higher than last year (2010 17%; 2011 29%); Middle East also received 29% (2010 33%); N Europe 22% (2010 25%) and UK 6% (2010 7%). Lemons have been shipped to Middle East 39%; Russia 28%; N Europe 10%, UK 6% and Far East 9%. Sources: freshfruitportal.com and CGA

By June 2011 volumes of citrus packed and shipped was reportsed by the Mr Chadwich as follows: Satsuma packing is definitely over with 1 687 000 cartons packed and passed for export, this is down on the initial 2 175 000 carton estimate; accounting for the lower predicted soft citrus figure (see below). So far, 1.8 million cartons of the predicted 2.6 million cartons of clementines have been packed. The Soft Citrus Focus Group increased their latest prediction marginally – by 100 000 cartons. This is offset by the Grapefruit FG slight decrease in prediction

DUBAI COMPANY INVESTS IN MAPUTO

aputo Port Development Company (MPDC), owned in part by Dubai firm DP World, and South African company Grindrod, have announced $1 billion investment over the next 20 years to improve infrastructure in Mozambique’s main port. In January, MPDC had released that it would be investing $750 million, but that figure was upgraded last Wednesday.

- which listed with the London Stock Exchange late last week, announced that they will continue to support the development plan. “We are committed to meeting the growing demand for the expansion of port facilities in Maputo. We have a robust long term plan in place together with our partners in Maputo to cater for our customers’ needs and the economic growth of Maputo.” Source: arabiansupplychain.com

Speaking to Reuters, MPDC chief executive Dave Rennie, said: “We think that it is a good time to invest because the demand is there and what we need to do is to create the gateway, developing the infrastructures to take commodities to the market.” The proposed upgrade is expected to expand opportunities in the developing markets of China and India. Currently, Maputo Port’s main cargo currently comprises of coal, iron-chromium, containers, sugar and fruit. The development could see cargo processing capacity grow to 8.7 million tons per year in 2043, according to maritime website Dredging today.com. In a released statement, DP World AF page 11

SOUTH AFRICA SETS ASIDE MILLIONS TO REVITALISE BANANA AND CITRUS PROJECTS

“

An amount of R25 million will be used to revitalise three irrigation schemes in Mpumalanga’s Bushbuckridge area. The financial injection is expected to boost citrus and banana production in Hoxane, Champagne and Saringwa villages, said spokesperson for the provincial Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration, Janine Julies.

Commitment from the community will ensure that the 3,000 hectares is put back into production,” said Julies. More funding was expected from private investors to help with the three projects. Julies said the first phase of the Champagne irrigation scheme was already completed, allowing for an additional 200 hectares of citrus cultivation. Presenting the department’s R969,1 million budget for 2011/12 in the provincial legislature last

week, MEC Candith Mashego-Dlamini announced a further R10 million to kickstart the revitalisation of the Ngogolo, Mbhunu B, Nhlangu East and West sugarcane projects in Komatipoort. She said the money would help struggling subsistence and emerging farmers in the sugar industry. The department was also in the process of developing a feasibility study for a fresh produce market in Mpumalanga.

advantage of the developed infrastructure around the Maputo Corridor, the proximity to Mozambique, Swaziland and other South African Development Community countries,” said Mashego-Dlamini. She added that a fresh produce market would help the province tap into local and international experiences, in particular, the leading fresh produce markets in France and Spain.

“This will help integrate local farmers throughout the value chain and take

Source: 7thspace.com

ZEDER MAKES A BID FOR FRUIT GIANT CAPESPAN Investment company offers 225c per share in an offer to buy one of South Africa’s biggest agricultural distribution companies.

SE listed Zeder Investments Limited has issued a notice to Capespan shareholders of its firm intention to make a cash offer to acquire all Capespan shares not held by Zeder. Zeder currently owns around 27.7% of the outstanding shares of Capespan. Capespan is a leader in global fruit

AF page 12

marketing and distribution and a provider of supply chain service solutions, with operations in 34 countries. Zeder says the market share of Capespan’s fruit distribution business has reduced over the years, given the fact that the environment within which they operate has changed dramatically. This it says is both a challenge and an opportunity and needs to adapt if its going to grow going forward. Zeder will continue the

business currently operated by Capespan while also considering future acquisitions. “The remuneration of the Capespan board will not be affected by the offer,” it says. It says the offer of 225 cents per share includes a premium of 29.5% to the 30 day volume weighted average traded price of Capespan shares of 173.7 cents per share, 57.6% to the 90 day volume weighted average traded price of Capespan shares of 142.8 cents per share and 66.9% to the 180 day volume weighted average traded price of Capespan shares of 134.8 cents per share. The offer will formally close at 12:00 on Friday, 11 November 2011.

Source: businessday.co.za

AGCHEM VEKOOP ‘n BELANG VAN 70% AAN ROLFES

gChem Holdings het op 12 Julie aangekondig dat die aanbod van Rolfes Technology Holdings, om ‘n aanvanklike 70% van AgChem Holdings te bekom, aanvaar is. Volgens Rolfes het die koop transaksie die maatskappy voorsien van ‘n unieke geleentheid om die hoogs suksesvolle agro-chemikalieë sektor te betree: “Die wêreld se vinnig groeiende bevolking is die dryfveer agter die aanvraag vir verhoogde voedselproduksie en verseker dus vele positiewe groei vooruitsigte vir landbouchemikalieë. Verder sal hierdie ooreenkoms ook daartoe lei dat Rolfes meer besigheid kan verseker in die uitvoersektor van Afrika “, het die maatskappy gesê.

die maatskappy voorsien van die finansiële vermoë om voortgesette toekomstige groei te bevorder. By AgChem is dit business as usual en alle bestaande kliënte ooreenkomste word gehonoreer vir hierdie voortgesette groei ”

AgChem Holdings is die beheer-maatskappy van ‘n groep van maatskappye wat hoë kwaliteit landbou-chemiese produkte aankoop, vervaardig en versprei vir die landbousektor in verskillende geografiese gebiede wêreldwyd.

We are all about: Greenhouses Greenhouse Plastic Screens - Blackout & Energy Irrigation & Fertigation Automated Processing Equipment Packaging Materials: • Flower sleeves • Pallet wrap • Strapping • Flower boxes • Cling film for cucumbers Fertilizers Chemicals - Insecticides & Herbicides

Hoë hindernisse om die landboumark te betree, was die finale motivering vir Rolfes om die transaksie te beklink. AgChem voeg ‘n totale nuwe produk portefeulje van chemiese produkte by tot Rolfes se bestaande produk aanbod. Rolfes spesialiseer in die verspreiding van produkte, insluitende verskeie oplosmiddels, verf- en lak verdunner, kreosoot, groei- en gespesialiseerde chemikalieë. Die Direkteure van Agchem het vandag gesê: “Die nuwe aandeelhouer in die AgChem Groep sal

Telephone: Facsimile: Email: Web:

011 613 3103 / 011 613 2580 011 613 2095 vic@ghtech.co.za francois@ghtech.co.za www.ghtech.co.za

Multiflora Building Marjorie Street, City Deep, Johannesburg, South Africa

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TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE MARKET

In order not to disturb daily trade during s part of commitment to provide for logistics and distribution, sophisticatworld-class facilities and build the refurbishment process, construction ed cold chain, food hygiene and safety was divided into two months. Preparation system, more convenient, pleasant and positive image of the Joburg for work began early in April, with on-site environmentally friendly market. Market brand, the organisation work completed by end June 2011. has completed the project of wrapping the Main Building and the branding of the Trade in the new space efficient facilimain entrances and new exit. Now spotThe branding exercise is part of Joburg ties will see produce sold on the basis Markets’s redevelopment plan dubbed ting aesthetically appealing graphic and of samples shown (as opposed to the “Market of the Future” (MoF). The Market current heap-factor) after it has been positioning messages, the refurbishment exercise is aimed at breathing new lease packed and graded according to strict of life into the Market infrastructure. The new-look Jo’burg market will specifications. While Joburg Market is renowned for be the widest variety of quality fruit and vegetables it offers, it nonetheless lacked character. We believe the branding will capture the attention of new clients who hitherto would not have considered using the Market to source produce. We also believe that it will help the Market stake its position as not only the biggest market in the world but also to realise its vision of becoming a world class African market.

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a world-class facility that the city can be proud of! of the Future will see an investment of over R300 million to reverse the downward trend in domestic funding for infrastructure for fresh produce markets. Components of the “Market of the Future” includes: space-efficient trading facilities, total control center, modernized facilities

It is expected that the MoF will not only result in improved food safety, but will bolster transformation of the agribusiness value chain and thereby contribute in the leveling of playing field i.e. provision of proportional platform for black market agents to trade, improved access for small agricultural producers to compete with commercial farmers.

SEASONAL REEFER CONTAINER FREIGHT ROUTE BACK FOR ANOTHER YEAR

ontainer shipping line Safmarine and the other Southern Africa Europe Container Service (SAECS) member lines have reintroduced their seasonal Reefer Express (REX) service, which was first launched three years ago to provide extra capacity for agricultural freight exporters during the South African peak fruit season. Sailings were due to commence this weekend with service calls at Elizabeth/Cape Town/Tilbury/Rotterdam/Port Elizabeth with Lisbon subject to inducement on the northbound leg. The REX Service will be operated by 6 vessels in a weekly frequency through to the end of August and Safmarine’s South Africa-Europe trade manager, Ian Fairlie points out the 2011 REX service will offer increased capacity compared to previous years saying: “Plug capacity on the six vessels which will be deployed on the 2011 REX Service has been adjusted in line with the anticipated increased seasonal demand. The increase in the number of plugs is particularly good news for South African exporters and

European importers of Cape citrus and pomme fruit, who will also benefit from the two sailings per week frequency and the REX’s direct link between the Cape ports and Tilbury/Rotterdam.” Despite the service being specifically aimed at the plethora of temperature controlled cargo there will also be spaces for ambient dry cargo made available. Safmarine, now into its fourth decade handling the South African fruit trade, says its 2011 reefer volumes to date have been up on the 2010 volumes for the same period and all indications are that this will be a good season for the South African fruit export industry. Fairlie concluded that the investment made by Safmarine and the other Southern Africa Europe Container Service (SAECS) member lines (Maersk Line, Deutsche Afrika Linien (DAL) and MOL) in the REX service is proof that they have a long-term commitment to supporting South Africa’s fruit export industry. Source: handyshippingguide.com

SAFMARINE LAUNCHES NEW iPHONE APPLICATION

hipping line Safmarine has added another eproduct to its range of e-Business accessories with the launch of the Safmarine application for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.

This new application will enable customers to download and access their shipment information instantly, anywhere, anytime of day.

According to Benoît Lebrun, Safmarine’s Global e-Business Manager, “Safmarine continues to expand its range of e-products and this new tool, not only demonstrates Safmarine’s leadership in providing innovative business solutions to the shipping industry, but will also improve customers’ access and experience to Safmarine and make it even easier for our customers to do business with us, no matter where they are! “Customers can look up sailing schedules, track containers or consignments or find contact details for Safmarine offices using the ‘Nearby office’ functionality which uses the iPhone or iPad’s GPS locator to find the nearest Safmarine office. Being kept up to date with the latest Safmarine news in real-time is also one of the features offered.

A search can be customized by saving the container/booking number in the ‘hotlist’. Then, by enabling the ‘push notification’, any new moves for tagged containers are automatically pushed to the user (customer)”.

“An example of one of the application’s notable features is the tracking of cargo using a container or booking number.

The Safmarine application is available free of charge on he App Store via http://itunes.apple.com/br/app/safmarine/id428274354?mt=8 AF page 15

MOZAMBIQUE MARKETS 112000 TONNES OF CASHEWS The Mozambican cashew sector showed its continuing recovery by marketing 112,000 tonnes of cashew nuts in the 2010-2011 campaign, much higher than anything in the previous three decades, according to the Director of the Mozambican Cashew Institute (INCAJU), Filomena Maiopue

n the 1970s, Mozambique was the largest producer of cashew nuts, and the amount marketed once reached 216,000 tonnes. But the producing areas were badly hit in the 1980s, both by the war of destabilisation and by fungal infestations and insect pests. The stock of cashew trees was also ageing, and so production declined in both quantity and quality. Attempts to revive the cashew processing industry in the 1990s were sabotaged by the World Bank, which threatened to cancel loans to Mozambique, unless the government stopped subsidies to the cashew industry. The major beneficiary of the World Bank policy was the Indian cashew industry, since the great bulk of unprocessed Mozambican nuts were exported to India. But there is now a considerable recovery based on small scale processing factories, mostly in the north of this country, and on improved treatment of the trees, including with spraying against fungus infestations. “Over the last five years,

the average amount of cashew nuts marketed has fluctuated between 70,000 and 90,000 tonnes. But this year’s figure of 112,000 tonnes is a great victory for the country, since it is the highest figure attained since independence”, said Maiopue, cited in the Beira daily paper “Diario de Mocambique”. This figure refers to cashew nuts sold on the formal circuits. Cashews kept back by farmers for their own consumption, and those sold on the informal market are not included - the real figure for cashew production is thus considerably higher. As for the processing industry, Maiopue said that the installed capacity has risen from a low point of 3,750 tonnes a year in 2001/2002 to the current figure of 38,400 tonnes a year. There are now 29 processing plants, though some of them are currently closed. These factories employ over 8,000 workers. Maiopue said that the large, mechanized factories that dominated the industry before the World Bank diktat, employed, at their height,

12,000 workers. About 50 per cent of cashew production is concentrated in the northern province of Nampula, followed by Zambezia in the centre of the country and Inhambane in the south. “But Inhambane is increasing its production considerably”, said Maiopue, “and in the next campaign we expect it to overtake Zambezia”. Source: allafrica.com

SA’s CLEMENTINE HARVEST PASSES 1M CARTON MARK

he Citrus Growers Association Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has announced its latest citrus harvest volumes, with the Russian market taking a good chunk of the country’s exports. CEO Justin Chadwick says the industry has packed 14.3 million 15kg (33lbs) cartons of citrus fruit and shipped 10.1 million cartons. “Clementine harvesting has now passed the 1 million carton mark – the latest prediction is 2.5 million cartons,” he says. “Navel packing is starting to gain momentum with 2.6 million cartons packed to date – 1.2 million in the past week. Russia has once again proven to have a liking for southern African citrus with 35% of oranges, 26% of lemons, 19% of soft citrus and 16% of grapefruit shipped there to date. Source: freshfruitportal.com

AF page 16