Beanstalk Global & The PMA in South Africa – The Citrus Industry.

The Produce Marketing Association is a key International trade organisation representing companies from every segment of the global fresh produce and floral supply chain. The PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. Their mission is to connect, inform and deliver industry solutions to enhance their members’ prosperity.

Each month, we will be focusing on a major area of South African fresh produce and discussing that all with the country’s key industry experts so we can learn and appreciate fantastic South African Fresh Produce. This month it’s Citrus!

On the panel we will be speaking to several leading experts on the South African Citrus Industry including:

Dr Vaughan Hattingh is CEO of Citrus Research International (CRI), a private company that has been mandated by the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa to provide the southern African citrus industry with the research and technical support required to ensure the sustained international competitiveness of the industry. He has an office at Stellenbosch University, the University being one of the CRI Group research alliance partners. He obtained a BSc Agric (cum laude) degree in entomology and plant pathology from University of Stellenbosch and a PhD in Entomology from University of Natal. He has held a title of Extraordinary Associate Professor at the University of Stellenbosch for various terms since 2003, first in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology and more recently in the Department of Horticultural Science. CRI operates research facilities and maintains alliance partnership agreements with research organisations across South Africa and has international research collaborations.

Vaughan has worked in the southern African citrus industry for 31 years, originally as a research entomologist at Outspan Citrus Centre in Nelspruit. He later became Director of Outspan Citrus Centre and was instrumental in the formation of CRI and the incorporation of Outspan Citrus Centre into CRI in 2001. His personal portfolio of expertise lies in the science underpinning international phytosanitary trade regulation. He has played a leading role in opening many international markets for southern African citrus exports and retaining access to such markets despite increasing Sanitary and Phytosanitary trade regulatory challenges.

Duo Landman – Landman Group. Duo was born in Duiwelskloof and grew up in Letsitele and Tzaneen. He studied Accounting at Stellenbosch and qualified as an Chartered Accountant in 2011. He joined his father in a new farming venture in 2012 in Hoedspruit. Since then his brother joined them and they expanded to Ohrigstad and Piketberg in the Western Cape. In the last 9 years Duo has spent much of his time optimising operations and building relationships for the future. He is extremely passionate about agriculture and aims to contribute to the industry as much as possible with his resources.

Rowan Vickery, Commercial Manager – FruitOne. Rowan started in the citrus industry some 18 years ago after spending 5 years working as a game ranger in South Africa and Botswana. He was initially appointed as a grower Account Manager for Capespan (Pty) Ltd in KwaZulu-Natal, before taking over as Regional Manager for KZN and then Regional Manager for the northern regions of SA. He spent a few years working for the European arm of the business, and then as the Citrus Executive from 2015-2019.

At the beginning of 2020 Rowan joined FruitOne as Commercial Manager and is thoroughly enjoying being part of a small, dynamic, growing business. He is passionate about agriculture and the citrus industry especially; the challenges that are posed and the opportunities these create. Rowan particularly enjoys interacting with farms and overseas clients, as this exposure has allowed him to travel extensively and broaden his knowledge base.

Jon Roberts – GM, Citrus Growers Association Cultivar Company.  John started an Ag Mgt, at University Natal Pietermaritzburg. Inexplicably changed to studying Art then returned to family farm, continued studies through Unisa. 
Farming grabbed and focused his attention for next 28 years: spent 10 years in Citrus Nursery, interest in new varieties developed due to needing to know what the Farmers were going to want before they knew it. The family farm amalgamated with a company building a Citrus packing facility and becoming involved in marketing. Jon became more involved with the packing processes, eventually taking over management of the Packhouse. He realised the need for focus on environmental and food safety aspects, did several Internal Auditors courses on HACCP & Food safety, instituted processes for ISO 14001, becoming the first certified Citrus Farm and Pack house in South Africa. Then certified for Global GAP & Natures Choice before it was a requirement.

Cultivars stayed a core interest, being in constant touch with the Market and their obvious interest in what was on the horizon.
In the transition years from single market channel – Cape Span to the Citrus Growers Association, Jon became concerned that there was no industry portfolio for new Variety development which he considered a foundation to the industry. He felt that an alternative to the commercially focused private cultivar companies was critical to industry. He expressed these concerns over many years and in 2011, he was invited to an interview for the position of GM of a new Industry Cultivar Company and was offered the job and in October 2011.  The Company was started from zero base – they currently have over 67 varieties in evaluation or development with 11 commercialised and another 13 high potential coming through development.

To view the main Broadcast just click the picture as below. To listen to the Podcast just click the Podcast icon.

Filmed 24th June 2021.

Before the main broadcast we had Justin Chadwick CEO of the Citrus Growers Association join us to give an impressive overview of Citrus in South Africa currently.  Click on the picture as below, or to listen as a podcast, click on the podcast icon.

Justin Chadwick – CEO, Citrus Growers Association. Justin spent nine years with SA Canegrowers where he was a Director. Before that he worked as a research economist and lecturer with the then National Department of Agriculture at Cedara College in KZN, and as a consultant to agricultural investment schemes. He is also a qualified property valuer.

In 1999 he was appointed CEO of the newly formed Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa and has had the task of bringing cohesion back into the citrus industry following de-regulation, through communication with all growers of export citrus as well as building up a strong working relationship with Government officials and other industry stakeholders. He travels extensively to countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, China, India, Indonesia and Japan to improve Market Access and has presented papers in Chile, Peru, South Korea, Japan and Morocco. He is a driving force in citrus industry collaboration between southern hemisphere citrus producing countries. More recently Justin has made presentations at an OECD Seminar in Sao Paulo, Brazil (November 2018) and International Citrus Seminar in Lima, Peru (April 2019).

We are very proud to have our Partner Sponsor KisanHub involved with this month’s Broadcast. They support fresh produce businesses in over 7 different countries managing regional, national or international supply chains. To see how they can assist your business in South Africa CLICK THIS LINK.

We are delighted to announce our second Partner Sponsor Kantar. They are the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company. Discover how they help clients understand people and inspire growth, and innovative by CLICKING THIS LINK.

To find out more about the PMA in Southern Africa, PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK.

If you would like to become a Partner Sponsor to promote your products or services with this unique International Broadcast series, please either email: info@beanstalk.global  or call +44 (0) 1284 715055.