CERES Fruit Growers is one of the largest apple and pear packers and employers in the Ceres valley in South Africa’s Western Cape.
Each year the company honours those growers who have excelled with a trophy-giving event, held in Ceres this year on November 19.
Growers Direct Manager Frederick Odendaal said in his opening remarks that despite the many challenges the industry faced – market closures and lockdowns as a result of Covid-19; massive delays and price hikes by shipping companies; the shortages of port and refrigerated equipment and fluctuating foreign-exchange currency among them, this year was a record for CFG in terms of the volume of bins processed.
As they did last year, Aurora Farm cleaned up winning in five categories: Best Bon Chretien, Forelle, and Packham’s Triumph pears; as well as the most accurate crop prediction and the highest income per hectare for pears. Winning in four categories, Welgemeen Boerdery won the Chairman’s Trophy for the best overall performance; best producer for Abate Fetel and Rosemarie pears and Golden Delicious Apples. The Welgemeen Group also won the trophy for the best Kanzi apples grown on Slagboom Farm.
Cedro Farms won in four categories: Fairfield for Granny Smith and Panorama Goldens, Erfdeel 2 for Rosy Glow and Fairfield also won the trophy for the highest income per hectare for apples.
Witzenberg Properties’ farms won in three categories: Esperanto Farm for the best Pink Lady; Alhambra for the best Royal Gala and Die Eike for the best Royal Beaut. Wakkerstroom, the overall winner for last year, won for the best Fuji and Topred apples.
Agterfontein won for the best Cheeky pears while Laastedrif Agri won for the best Mahana Red at Klein Vlakte farm.
Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing is the largest exporter of South African apples and pears and is equally owned by the growers of Ceres Fruit Growers and of Two-a-Day in Grabouw. Tru-Cape Managing Director Roelf Pienaar congratulated the winners on their excellent performance.
