Professional Horticultural Consulting (PHC) near George in the Western Cape ventured into commercial strawberry production in 2014, after receiving complaints about the price and quality of strawberry plant material.
“Growers were saying that production wasn’t economically viable, so being a nursery that offers consultancy services, we decided to see for ourselves,” says Dr. Gavin Linsley-Noakes, who founded PHC in 2004.
Linsley-Noakes farms alongside Francois Roets, the owner of the nearby Groeneweide Farm.
The experiment has been so successful that production has expanded to two other farms, Brandwag Farm near Mossel Bay, and Waboomskraal, between Oudtshoorn and George, bringing their total area under strawberries to 36ha.
In the process, the company has become one of the largest strawberry exporters in South Africa, with about a quarter of its annual 1 000t of production airfreighted to countries in the Middle and Far East, Indian Ocean islands and Africa.
“The only thing I regret about our business is that we didn’t venture into commercial strawberry production earlier,” says Linsley-Noakes.
MOTIVATED EMPLOYEES
Good labour practice is one of the pillars of PHC’s success.
“Strawberry production is extremely labour- and time-sensitive, so a strawberry business is really only as good as its employees,” says LinsleyNoakes. “Fruit has to be picked and shipped at the right time, and should be chilled as soon as possible, with every hour in delay resulting in up to a day’s loss in shelf life.”
Denne historien er fra February 07, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra February 07, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New farmers' seedling pitfalls
Inexperienced farmers may be tempted to grow seedlings from seed themselves, but they have much to gain by trusting a seedling grower at a nursery to perform this task for them instead
South African avocado production: a success story
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An agribusiness's dedication to community upliftment
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Empowering dreams, transforming lives
Since its launch in 2013, the Agri's Got Talent competition has revolutionised the lives of many farmworkers by unlocking their hidden talents and fostering a culture of empowerment. Glenneis Kriel spoke to various finalists about how the contest has changed their lives.
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The real value and message of COP29 for SA agriculture
While the 2024 Conference of the Parties may have disappointed those who hoped for real progress, it's more important for South African agriculture to highlight its role in carbon mitigation
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Tips for better olive production
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More effort needed to protect vulnerable cheetah
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