Sweet piquanté peppers, popularly known as peppadews, require all the attention a farmer can spare to produce good results. Limpopo farmer, Jaco Kriel, spoke to Gerhard Uys about producing this challenging but rewarding crop.
Jaco Kriel is a highly diversified farmer near Vaalwater in Limpopo. An agricultural consultant for eight years, he went on to become a grape and ostrich farmer, but today focuses on breeding Bonsmara cattle and growing seed-maize, peanuts, dry beans, and sweet piquanté peppers. Although the latter may be one of many enterprises in his operation, Jaco admits that this crop requires more than its fair share of attention to grow successfully.
Sweet piquanté peppers are a cultivar of chilli pepper (Capsicum baccatam). They are better known as peppadews, a trademarked name of Peppadew International, the South Africa based processor, distributor and exporter of the fruit. Jan supplies the company directly. He plants between 10ha and 12ha of his 100ha to this crop.
“When a farmer wakes up in the morning, he should think about how to expand his operation or improve production. He won’t survive otherwise. I couldn’t add to my lands, so had to produce more intensively. Some farmers in the area had already planted sweet peppers, so I contacted them,” Jaco recalls.
CLIMATE, SOIL & TERRAIN
The average rainfall in the Vaalwater area is around 650mm, but in the past few seasons below average rainfall was recorded. Sweet piquanté peppers require irrigation, with plants needing 5mm/ha/day from drip irrigation at peak harvesting time.
“One cannot plant it as a dryland crop as it requires adequate water. I planted under centre pivot last year, but this wasted water because the rows were too far apart.
“This year I used drip irrigation, which seems to be the most effective,” Jaco says.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
