One of SA’s biggest avocado growers is on a coffee high
The Ernst family, owners of Allesbeste Boerdery in Tzaneen, Limpopo, have distinguished themselves as leaders in South Africa’s avocado industry. The business is managed jointly by Dr André Ernst, his wife Liezel, and their sons Zander and Edrean.
In 2016, in keeping with the family’s pioneering spirit, Zander Ernst decided to diversify their operation by adding coffee production. A coffee lover himself, he had long been interested in the crop.
“As farmers, we need to identify new opportunities to help us remain competitive and mitigate risk,” he says.
After much research, he decided to establish small coffee plantations in the Modjadjiskloof and Magoebaskloof areas.
He admits that they were cautious at first, being uncertain about the feasibility of coffee production. “We didn’t have precise figures to determine production costs in our area and couldn’t properly calculate the expected income, as this would depend not only on the yield, but also and most importantly on the quality of the beans.”
The family decided to plant coffee only in places where it would not compete with avocados, Allesbeste’s main crop,
