Spotlight: IFTA in South Africa: The Fruit Tree Industry’s Educational Event of the Year

In 1662, the first apples were picked in South Africa when the Dutch East India Company – the world’s first multinational company – founded the Cape of Good Hope as a refreshment outpost for passing ships. Fast forward to present day, South Africa is a major fresh fruit exporter with a dynamic industry. 

This winter, the International Fruit Tree Association will build upon their 70-year history of exploring fruit tree growing regions around the world with a once-in-a-lifetime study tour to South Africa. The participants will bring back new orchard ideas, strategies, techniques and connections… all while discovering a fascinating country.

South Africa has been a long anticipated destination. It’s always interesting to visit the southern Hemisphere (bonus: fruit on the trees and sweet cherry harvest underway). SA’s microclimates and diverse agricultural landscape leads to innovative farming practices. Participants will gain insights into advanced techniques in irrigation, pest management, and crop protection that are tailored to different environmental challenges. Additionally, they will learn about effective post-harvest handling, packing, and export strategies that contribute to South Africa’s reputation as a global leader in fruit exports. 

The Study Tour will be concentrated in the Western Cape where there is a dense concentration and diversity of tree fruits grown. 

South African stone fruit growers produce plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and cherries, a total of around 350,000 tonnes per year. In reference to pome fruit, 1,400,000 tonnes of apples and 505,000 tonnes of pears are produced annually. 

Read on as we highlight some of the people and places that will make our tour special.

Professor Wiehann Steyn, General Manager of Hortgro Science, will host our group in South Africa. Hortgro is a grower-funded industry organization that oversees the production, research and technology, communication, markets, and transformation needs of the pome and stone fruit industries of South Africa. Professor Steyn oversees Hortgro Science, the research and technology division, where he aims to help growers be globally competitive.

We’ll visit many farms to examine the fruit tree industry from different angles. For example, Dutoit Agri, one of the largest family-owned fruit growing, packing, and export operations. with apples, cherries, pears, peaches and nectarines, plums, and more. They are very progressive with netting, new technologies, and in-house research trials. Another excellent operator we’ll visit is Two-a-Day Group, one of the strongest technical management teams in growing and packing, with in-house research trials. They’re focused mainly on apples, pears, and rootstocks.

We will collaborate with Provar, an independent company that does pome and stone fruit cultivar and rootstock evaluation. They’re a data center for the latest in product development intelligence, focused on objectivity and impartiality. We’ll taste fruit with Provar and learn about new and popular varieties in South Africa.

After a few days spent networking and sightseeing in Cape Town, the study tour will be based in the charming university town, Stellenbosch. Known for its picturesque vineyards and Cape Dutch architecture, Stellenbosch is a perfect home base for our group. It’s a walkable city with quaint streets lined with oak trees, nearby world-renowned wineries, and lots of restaurants. Stellenbosch is also famous for being home to Stellenbosch University, a prestigious university especially known for research and innovation in AgriScience. 

IFTA Extension Tour Group in New Zealand  2018

The international group of IFTA members that make up our study tour contingency is a key part of the experience. The current group of 100+ participants is composed of North American industry members, representing 15 US states and 3 Canadian provinces, plus members from Norway and Brazil. Participants work in all facets of the industry and have much info and insight to share with each other, plus a wonderful common ground from which friendships bloom.

Take all the hands-on learning and networking, and then add in the nature and culture we’ll discover in South Africa… and this will truly be a marvelous educational adventure.

Learn more about the IFTA Trip to South Africa