Limpopo Business 2020/21 edition

OVERVIEW
Other schemes are at various
stages of development: 100ha
of land is being cleared for
cultivation at the Mogalatjane
Irrigation Scheme; 41ha has
been identified at Tswelopele
Irrigation Scheme in Fetakgomo
Tubatse Municipality; and agreements
are due to be signed at
Kolokotela and Setlaboswana
Irrigation Schemes.
The provincial government
sees the creation of infrastructure
to support agriculture as
part of its mandate. In the 2020
State of the Province Address,
Premier Chupu Mathabatha said
that two important projects
would be completed during
2020 (this was before the
Covid-19 epidemic):
• Matsika Pack House
• Upgrading of Norjax Canning
tomato paste processing facility.
More than 1 000 small-scale
farmers are being trained
annually to improve their skills
and to improve production.
Various Farmer Production
Support Units are due for
completion in 2020 and 2021.
These are situated at:
• Masala in Mopani
• Vleisboom in Sekhukhune
•Tshiombo in Vhembe
• Mapela in the Waterberg
Wide variety
The percentage contribution of
Limpopo agriculture to national
agriculture is 7.6% although its
contribution to provincial GDP
is just 2.3%. Agri-processing has
enormous potential to expand
in every subsector.
Limpopo’s fruits and
vegetables form an important
part of South Africa’s export basket and more than 45% of the annual
turnover of the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market originates in the
fertile province.
Companies like ZZ2 are major contributors to the country’s
annual production of 120 000 tons of avocados. Of the current crop,
about half is currently produced in two Limpopo regions, Letaba and
Tzaneen. Exports are rising exponentially. In response to this demand,
and the potential of the Chinese market, almost 1 000ha per year of
new land is being planted with avocados in South Africa.
The same amount of new macadamia planting is underway every
year, according to the Macadamias South Africa (SAMAC), adding to
the existing 19 000ha.
The other big sellers are mangoes and tomatoes. Limpopo
grows three-quarters of South Africa’s mangoes and two-thirds of
its tomatoes. The Waterberg district
produces large quantities of red meat,
Capricorn has potatoes in abundance,
Vhembe in the north specialises in citrus
and subtropical fruits. Mopani has those
fruits too – and the Mopani worm. The
Sekhukhune region in the south-east
produces grain and the marula fruit that
goes into Amarula cream liqueur.
Westfalia is another huge enterprise,
part of the Hans Merensky Group, and
it is the world’s largest avocado grower.
It also produces significant quantities
of mango, litchi, citrus and macadamia
and has three agri-processing plants in
the province. Greenway Farms supplies
about 45% of the fresh-market carrots
consumed in Southern Africa under the
Rugani brand.
The two most active agricultural
companies in Limpopo are NTKLA (with
its headquarters in Modimolle) and
Online Resources
Avocados harvested
Afgri, South Africa’s biggest agricultural company, is headquartered
in Centurion (Gauteng). NTKLA is a shareholder in Venda Roller Mills
in Thohoyandou and operates 10 grain silos, 23 retail outlets, 28 flour
depots and one cold-storage facility. ■
Agro-Food Technology Station, Limpopo University: www.ul.ac.za
Citrus Growers Association: www.cga.co.za
Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust: www.dfpt.co.za
Limpopo Dept of Agriculture & Rural Development: www.lda.gov.za
Macadamias South Africa: www.samac.org.za
South African Subtropical Growers’ Association: www.subtrop.net
39 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2020/21