How ‘bout them apples?

The FRUIT-GROWING SECTOR is a key player in South Africa’s agricultural sphere. High-quality fresh fruit is always widely available locally, but did you know that vast quantities are also exported overseas, making it a crucial contributor to our GDP?

While things might always look rosy to the consumer, who buys apples at their local supermarket, the fruit industry is constantly facing challenges. To overcome these, role players are always innovating, striving for technical solutions to complex problems.

ORIGINS

In 1652 the Dutch East India Company founded the Cape of Good Hope as a refreshment outpost for its passing ships. Deciduous fruit trees were planted to supply ships with fresh fruit. Ten years later, in April 1662, the first two ripe apples were picked at the Cape – these were . Stone fruit and pears followed, and gradually small farmers started experimenting with other top fruit crops,