Deciduous fruit farmers in the Sarah Baartman District, Eastern Cape who have had to endure souring fortunes as a result of natural disasters in the past three financial years are anticipating a much-needed turnaround in the 2022 harvest season.
After suffering a prolonged drought since 2015, their situation worsened when a severe hailstorm ravaged their orchards of apples, pears and plums in 2021, destroying 80% of the fruits just before harvest time.
Misgund Landgoed just outside Joubertina is one of the farms hit hard by the punishing weather, leading to a decline in the farm’s yield that fluctuated between 2 000 and 3 000 tonnes from its 69 hectares of orchards.
The farm grows various apple varieties, namely Flash Gala, Royal Gala, Top Red, Grannysmith and Golden Delicious, as well as plums and Forelle pears. Misgund Landgoed is owned by a 134-member trust and it is among the many enterprises to have received support from the Eastern Cape provincial department of rural development and agrarian reform.
Jan Uithaler, deputy chairperson of the board of trustees said they have been on the receiving end of much needed government support.
“When we struggled with water during the severe drought in the region, the department helped us with a proper irrigation system – something which saw our production growing exponentially. [The department] further supported the farm with a tractor and a 1,500 litre boom sprayer,” Uithaler said.
While the assistance did propel them further, they suffered severely after the hailstorm. Despite this, they expect their yield from the February harvest to exceed 3 000 tonnes.
“Our fruit is in perfect condition. We ’ve had enough water. There weren’t gusting winds that usually blow our fruit off the trees and at times causing them bruises when they thrust on either the stems or bump on each other.
“This year’s yield is definitely going to make a huge difference to our bottom line and help us to service our debts.”
Jan Uithaler, deputy chairperson of the board of trustees at Misgund Landgoed
Meanwhile Wilfred Malgas, who manages JD Rovon farm, said they project an increase on their bottom line of just more than R 5 million. JD Rovon farm also grows deciduous fruit.
“The farm has always relied on government grants and other forms of aid but if what we see in our orchards can be a constant trend for at least ten years, we’d certainly be a sustainable business and be able to pay everything from our own pockets,” Malgas said.
It is said that the department provided the farm with fertilisers, a tractor, irrigation system and pesticides. It also scooped the farm’s dam, its only water source for irrigation. The business was also subsidised with 4 000 litres of fuel per year.
A large portion of the two farms’ produce is exported to international markets like Angola, China, the US and Britain. Combined, the businesses employs more than 200 workers from neighbouring communities with most of the labour force being seasonal workers during the harvesting season.
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