Solving the kiwi puzzle for optimal production

A sunrise industry in South Africa with potential to expand markets locally and abroad, kiwifruit offers good returns on a small piece of land. Malcolm Deacon, owner of Gold Tree Farms, cautions, however, that knowledge gaps abound, and until the industry matures, farmers will have to troubleshoot their way through production

- Lindi Botha

Among a sea of macadamia orchards that span the Lowveld horizon, the sight of a few small patches of hail nets is intriguing. Getting closer, one can see vines creeping upwards towards the nets and furry fruit the size of small fists hanging in clusters, and it’s exciting to realise that a new industry is in the making.

Gold Tree Farms just outside White River in Mpumalanga planted its first golden kiwifruit vines in 2014. Although South Africa’s first green kiwi orchards were planted over 40 years ago, the industry with its 320ha under production is still considered to be in its infancy.

The many kiwi varieties mean that production can be spread out across a host of different climates in South Africa. Malcolm Deacon, owner of Gold Tree Farms, for example, has 12ha of golden kiwis on the balmy White River farm and another 6ha, with partners, in a chilly part of KwaZulu-Natal. Production over two areas means that risk is spread across climates. It also gives Deacon a wider scope in evaluating what works for kiwi production in South Africa and what doesn’t.

A NURSERY SCHOOL 

When the first 6,5ha of vines were planted on Gold Tree Farms, rootstocks were not used. Deacon soon realised, however, that the roots of the vines were not equipped to handle the push for bigger production.

“In summer, kiwi plant needs to be able to grow cane for the following season and produce good-sized fruit. But without a proper ‘engine’, it can’t achieve that.

We realised that the vines needed a rootstock that could provide the engine for growth.”