Certain diseases can wreak havoc in hydroponic systems – guard against them by following this advice. Plants grown in hydroponic systems are susceptible to many of the diseases affecting field-grown vegetable crops. But because hydroponic systems are grown under shelter (plastic tunnels/shade net), fungal and bacterial diseases of the above-ground parts…
If planned badly, transport for fresh produce is expensive, but used properly it can become cost-effective. There are 3 factors a producer needs to adhere to when planning transport for fresh produce. Get them right and you’ll find transport isn’t the monster some people make it out to be. SELLING…
Packaging is expensive, but it’s important if you are to achieve top prices for your fresh produce. The cost of packaging can be frightening, so some farmers turn to cheaper alternatives, such as second-hand containers. Like the Eastern Cape farmer who does the rounds of all the fruit and veg…
Effective branding can make or break your products. Here’s how to ensure that people come back for more. HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO FRESH PRODUCE? I’ll start with the bad news: Effective branding costs a lot of money. The good news is that you can do something about it. If…
If you’re a farmer – new or already established – producing crops, you need to know how to handle and store pesticides and chemicals safely and how to protect your workers, and yourself, while doing so. It is the duty of the employer, in this case the farmer, to provide…
Business is about relationships. Each one is different and has its own specific requirements. For a farmer, the most important relationship is the one with the people who sell his produce: They play a key role in the success of his marketing plans. In simpler times, it was said that…
The fresh produce market as a channel offers producers several options and opportunities. These benefits drastically decrease, however, in the absence of careful planning. This article was written by Prof. A. Leonard and Dr. J. Range. Planning around marketing options realise a higher level of success, provided it’s done in…
Every fresh produce farmer must have a plan for how he’s going to sell his crops. Your marketing plan is like a road map that guides you through the steps of marketing so that you can successfully sell your fresh produce. It gives you “check points” to provide direction, measure…
Morogo (imifino) long bore the image of poverty and deprivation - food only eaten by those who couldn’t afford meat. Today, more and more people are recognising its true nutritional and cultural value. There are many different kinds of morogo and the leaves are freely available. Traditionally, most morogo is…
Forget the high prices or the low prices – concentrate on building your average price by supplying top quality all the time, regardless of the market supply situation. Ask yourself this question, “Why is Coca Cola so successful?” There must be numerous answers, but one thing is for sure; you’ll…
Fruit flies are among the most damaging pests to fruit. Using baits should be an integral part of managing them holistically. Fruit fly baits are often not used, or not used with sufficient attention or urgency. For this reason, the fruit industry has compiled baiting guidelines for farmers and contractors.…
It has been shown many times that people don’t mind paying more for fruit or vegetables – as long as the quality is good. Most people are familiar with the saying “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. In agriculture this could be changed slightly - to “quality is…
Knowing how to handle fruit during the production process is important, and so is understanding the basics of post-harvest plant physiology. The 3 enemies of fruit and vegetables are bad handling, time and high temperatures. Time is the critical factor in the race to extend the shelf-life of your fresh…
On a world scale, up to 33% of all perfectly good fresh produce is thrown away after harvesting. Michael Cordes discusses harvesting, handling and transport. Many farmers make the mistake of thinking that marketing fresh produce is far removed from their farming activities. They argue that they have their hands…
Good business relationships based on trust are essential, especially if you’re using a market agent. The principles below apply to any business relationship, but they’re slightly different when marketing fresh produce. Certain factors kick in right away when your market agent receives a consignment of produce from you, and they…
The relationships you build with your export agent and other key role-players become the oil that makes the exporting engine work smoothly. This is probably the most important part of exporting fresh produce. Your export agent is your key player, the person with whom you will have the most dealings…
We look at more leafy vegetables that are suitable for closed systems. It is very important that a thorough economic viability study be done before a crop is planted to make sure that the market to be supplied is also viable. Crops grown in tunnels should achieve higher prices on…
Exporting is the ultimate marketing aim for any serious fruit or vegetable farmer, but it needs time, high standards, commitment and good management.* Many people encourage new farmers to export because it is seen as a lucrative marketing option. But they say this without really understanding what’s needed to be…
Vegetables that have a determinate growth pattern are ideal for hydroponic production. Here we look at how to grow lettuce in a recirculating system. Leafy and other determinate vegetables are usually small plants with small root systems. If they are grown hydroponically, production generally takes place in systems such as…
We’ve already talked about farm gate sales, local area sales, factory contracts and fresh produce markets. Here, the subject is supplying direct to supermarkets or other buyers. Farmers often ask me which supermarket to supply. My first question to them is, “What’s the quality of your product, and how much…
Vegetables are essential for good health, and to ensure you get the best, you have to follow some sound principles for growing them – especially if you decide on hydroponics. Vegetable crops may be seeded directly in the field or planted in seedling beds and transplanted later. Crops that are…
We’ve seen that successful fresh produce marketing is a lot like going to school… starting at the bottom and working through the grades, gaining knowledge and experience as we go. In this article we look at the next important ‘grade’. The step up from the previous marketing options we covered…
Any serious farmer wants to get the best and most out of every production unit. Here 3 of marketing choices for a fresh produce farmer. Marketing fruit and vege¬tables is a bit like going to school… you have to start at the bottom and work your way up to “qualify”…
Farming hydroponically is fairly costly and needs close attention, but it’s a method that has a place among those who supply specific markets. Hydroponics is the production of crops in the absence of soil, or “soilless culture”. If no growth medium is used, it’s called liquid hydroponics. If an artificial…
