The Macadamia

AUCTION A MACS
SUCCESS RESIST
BORER

MAC ICE
CREAM HIT

Spring 2020



From “Unemployment in South Africa is a national tragedy and
the emergency. And the target of creating 800 000 jobs will not
Editor happen without the private sector – the state simply cannot
do it.” Ed Stoddard DM
Gareth Wright As I write, farmers and the Economic Freedom Fighters
(EFF) are squaring off outside the Senekal magistrate’s court
SPRING 2020 ahead of the bail hearing for two alleged stock thieves who
are accused of brutally killing young farm manager Brendin
Horner.
At the same time, macadamia and sugarcane farmers in
the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and on the North Coast are
counting the cost of vandalism, which resulted in hundreds
of hectares of cane fields being torched, and thousands of
macadamia trees being chopped and burned, allegedly by
aggrieved poachers. To date no one has been arrested.
Rural safety and crime are increasingly grabbing headlines,
as is the country’s massive unemployment rate, particularly
since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent
lockdown.
In this edition we look at the numbers released recently by
StatsSA for the second quarter of this year and the evidence is
clear: South Africa is in a crisis like none seen before. And, if
the experts are to be believed, the government simply hasn’t
the wherewithal to put the economy back on an even keel.
Millions of people are out of work, or more accurately,
millions of South Africans have no idea where their next meal
is coming from. At the same time farmers, the producers of
those meals, live under the constant threat of violence and
lawlessness with apparently little or no protection from law
enforcement.
As one commentator so aptly put it: “Hunger is caused by
politicians. There is more than enough food to feed the
country’s population. It is just a matter of political will.”
Since the lifting of the lockdown the number of people
employed has increased significantly but not to the levels
prior to the closing of the economy. So, while it may look as
though the country has registered a substantial increase in
employment in Q3, in reality these are people who have been
reemployed by mainly food outlets that have managed to get
back on their feet. This rebound represents only about half of
those returning to work out of the 2.8 million who lost their
jobs in Q2.
No good news there then.
But there is good news, and it’s in the agricultural sector!
As South Africa’s macadamia industry continues to register
growth, despite the massive 40% drop in yield this year, job
opportunities for women and for those with a variety of skills
are starting to become available.
SAMAC CEO Lizel Pretorius has made it clear the association
understands its responsibility to employment and skills
development in tandem with the industry’s growth path, while
at the same time macadamia farmers are prioritising training
and development both in the orchards and in the factories.
Our macadamia industry is a good news story in these bleak
times.
But the government has a lot of work to do to regain the trust
and faith of the private sector, and in particular to rebuild
confidence among farmers.
The country’s failed land reform policies, among other
legislative blunders, increasing lawlessness, and violence
on farms, are all areas where the government could step up
and start to rebuild, in good faith, a sector that offers the
economy unlimited growth potential.

1

Colleen Dardagan
Contributing Author

Lindi Botha Contrib- Editor 29
uting Author Gareth Wright 17
072 223 3498
Kobus van Niekerk [email protected]
Contributing Author Advertising
Belinda Mockridge
Belinda Mockridge 083 653 7021
Advertising [email protected]

www.themacadamia.co.za

Cover Image
A woman at the T&T Agric
macadamia tree nursery trans-
plants seed. The growing mac
industry is considered ripe for
employment creation in the
country.
Picture: Colleen Dardagan

This publication is protected by
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2 THE MACADAMIA

25

4 21
Contents
25 Variety founder
04 Macadamias offer employment hope The Macadamia talks to Llewellyn Bolt about
The macadamia industry offers job stability to the origins of, the Nelmak cultivar
a wide range of on-farm workers and highly-
skilled factory and managment staff 29 Vilified bats ignite research passion
Measuring the astonishing value of active bat
11 Online auction opens mac markets colonies in South Africa’s macadamia orchards

13 Shot-hole borer poses limited threat 33 Why buy when you can rent?
to macs – for now The sharing economy has introduced many
Minister calls for submissions on an to a new way of doing business
intervention plan to tackle shot-hole borer
beetle infestations 37 Better stinkbug control: lose the
pre-programmed spraying regime!
17 Integrity and trust key to high mac food Part 2 of this 3 part series
safety standards
Successfully maintaining food safety standards 46 Nuts & Bolts: Book review
in a macadamia processing factory English Pastoral: An Inheritance
by James Rebanks
21 De-husking innovation saves time
and money 47 Macadamia praline avocado ice cream
Teamwork that is saving both time and money A delicious recipe from Anelle Whyte
during South Africa’s annual nut harvest.

SPRING 2020 3

The growth of the macadamia industry has allowed for the employment
of an increasing number of women in the fields and factories.

Macadamias offer
employment hope

As one of South Africa’s most buoyant agriculture sectors, the macadamia industry offers job stability as
the country posts record low employment figures on the back of the Covid-19 national lockdown.

Article / Images
Colleen Dardagon Colleen Dardagon & Andrew Sheard

4 THE MACADAMIA

While South Africa’s economy has officially tanked In the recently released National Income Dynamic Study
and StatsSA has published record low employment – Corona Virus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM)
figures since the global recession in 2018, the country’s 2020 – South Africa’s unemployed increased from 43%
agricultural sector, and in particular the growing to 53% (13.7 million to 16.5 million) and this number
macadamia sector, offers hope. remained unchanged from April to June, despite the
easing of lockdown.
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and
subsequent lockdown, the South African economy has And while the latest GDP figures reflect agriculture
reportedly shed 2.8 million jobs, with experts pegging as performing well from February to June, those who
joblessness in the country at more than 50%, and youth experienced the greatest decline in employment were
unemployment as high as 70%. the poor, rural, unskilled and less educated, with the

SPRING 2020 5

percentage decline in employment during the period a doubling of the percentage of people looking for
pegged at 10 times higher for the poorest 50% of work, which reflects the migrant nature of the country’s
workers. workforce, particularly in the mining sector where
employment was cut by 14.4%.
In the latest StatsSA Q2 labour report, the agriculture
sector shed 66 000 jobs or 7.6% compared with quarter Linked to this reality is the increase in farm invasions
one, which is reflective of the government’s decision and property damage, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal,
to categorise agriculture as an essential service during where macadamia orchards were set alight and maturing
the national lockdown between March and August. trees chopped to the ground by aggrieved communities
Agriculture now employs 799 000 people nationally during lockdown.
compared with 865 000 in the previous quarter, which
reflects a decline of 43 000 workers or 5.1% on the 2019 In truth, South Africa’s economy was running on
numbers. empty prior to the onset of the pandemic, with little
demonstration of innovation or creativity to kickstart
In the report, private households laid off the highest growth.
number of people at 23.6%, followed by the construction
industry at 20.7% and manufacturing at 14.7%. The However, in the macadamia industry where innovation
Eastern Cape region shed the most jobs at 52.8%. and growth are evident, the workforce is relatively stable.

The province that has the largest agricultural workforce In 2018, 11 615 largely unskilled workers were employed
is the Western Cape at 197 000 and its wine industry was permanently on farms, with an increase to 12 618 this
probably the worst hit once alcohol sales were banned year. Seasonal workers on-farm increased from 10 174 in
as a measure to curb the rate of Covid infections in the 2019 to 11 111 this year.
country.
Permanent workers in the factories remained relatively
Further, while in April and June the numbers started stable at 725 last year compared with 757 this year, and
recovering in cities and towns, rural farm areas showed seasonal factory workers increased from 2 356 to 2 460,

The macadamia industry has the potential to create work
for people with a range of skills from on-farm workers to
highly- skilled factory and management staff.

6 THE MACADAMIA

while in the nurseries a slight decline was Image courtesy: Green Farms Nut Company
measured. 7

The factory numbers reflect clearly the
unexpected drop in yield this year from an
estimated 60 000 metric tons down to just
more than 40 000 metric tons, and many
growers have now established nurseries in situ.

In contrast, a bumper 65 000 metric ton dry
nut inshell crop is predicted by the industry for
the 2021 season, which means a bigger uptake
in seasonal workers for a longer period of time
in both the factories and on the farms.

This means opportunities will continually open
up for increased skills development, hand-in-
hand with gaps for low-skilled and seasonal
work despite continued mechanisation both
on-farm and in the processing factories.

Director of Global Macadamias Roelof van
Rooyen said as an export-hedged sector, the
macadamia industry was well suited for creating
employment. “The sector is well placed to
create jobs in this difficult time,” he said.

Also, international customers who buy the
South African crop, particularly in Europe
and the United States, demand traceable
accountability by the industry, from
environmental best practice to human resources
development.

“Within the sub-tropical tree crop industry
there are numerous on-farm skills workshops,
AgriSeta-accredited learnerships as well as
an interesting local farmer initiative called
RecruitAgri, which assists in providing tangible
farm-related skills to agricultural graduates
to make them more employable within the
larger industry. At factory level there are always
numerous skills development workshops and
induction courses to get all staff to the required
levels of competence,” Van Rooyen said.

KwaZulu-Natal South Coast macadamia
farmer Robert Carlton Shields agreed that the
agriculture sector offered opportunities to shore
up both unemployment and food insecurity,
however, he warned, the real elephant in the
room was the increased presence (10.3 million)
of those who had become discouraged and were
no longer looking for work or economically
active.

SPRING 2020

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“I agree the diversification of crops – mainly away from staff have completed the programme we have seen a real
sugarcane – should result in re-skilling the existing desire to take on higher challenges and responsibilities –
labour and increase the headcount of those employed in in fact, the desire to self-improve was much more than
the sector. But farm optimisation now means increased we expected. Most of our staff are taking courses now
mechanisation. In some areas this will result in workers which will lead to them starting to study for degrees
being upskilled but often their earning capacity doesn’t within the next year or two.”
change, as the change is progressive. But, I do think a lot
of opportunities sit in the development and expansion SAMAC CEO Lizel Pretorius said while it was difficult
of macadamia farms: for example, in the increased to peg the growth of the macadamia industry accurately
establishment of high quality nurseries, land preparation due to the significant, increasing role of climate change
as sugarcane fields are turned to high yielding orchards on weather patterns, and disease, at current trends it
and of course, contracting businesses for activities such was estimated the sector would grow from about 49 503
as irrigation or pruning, the preparation of fire breaks metric tons this year to 140 000 tons by 2030.
or the management of waterways. If these are contracted
out, it frees the farmer to focus on the core business She said as the organisation held unemployment as a
while providing value-add development services in the “main concern”, 20% of the statutory levies collected
community,” he said. annually was tagged for support and to promote black
farmers in the industry.
And as the world’s aversion to risk grows, and processors
and farmers are increasingly required to introduce “We believe strongly that the starting point is skills
smarter technologies in their operations, Carlton-Shields development. We hold quarterly study group training
said he feared skilled labour would come from outside sessions that include practical applications. We assist
the industry’s neighbouring communities. these farmers to procure young trees, equipment and
capital assets within what is a limited budget, but we
“Some time ago we took a decision to really invest in believe this is an imperative. We also work really closely
our staff. We brought in an industrial psychologist and with government and our industry members to make sure
designed our own development programme based on additional initiatives are in place to secure the prosperity
individual talent and the capacity to learn. As each of our of these farmers,” Pretorius said.

SPRING 2020 9

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Online auction
opens mac markets

Since its launch three months ago the HelloChoice online macadamia auction
has not only opened up unexpected markets such as the trade in young trees,
but products and services have matured in response to market demand.

Article
Colleen Dardagan

In a world first, South Africa’s independent fresh produce “We agreed the concept had to be forged in real-time
trading ecosystem, HelloChoice, launched its macadamia experience. The auction was new, it had never been
nut auction platform earlier this year resulting in new done before and we didn’t want to go in with any pre-
business opportunities for tree nurseries and a vibrant conceived notions. As a result, what is emerging is a
demand for dry nut inshell. platform that is a good fit for what buyers and sellers
want. We have found brokering opportunities opening
Rohan Orford, who is behind the online macadamia up for us offline. In other words, we are consolidating
auction in partnership with the founders of HelloChoice ourselves as an online trading hub bringing together
Grant Jacobs and Graeme Jarvie, described the online the right people to do business. We have also seen the
trading as “robust”, with more than 57 tons of dry nut smaller and more boutique operations in the country
inshell traded in its inaugural year. open up their stock rooms to us. That has really been
exciting as we now have arrangements with these
“What was a very welcome development, though, was suppliers – who are often small and emerging in the
the demand for young trees,” he said. “To be honest we industry when compared with the bigger processors and
weren’t initially considering such an idea but as a side- growers – and their product is of a very high quality.
line opportunity we approached the nurseries and the This is good news, particularly for domestic as South
idea took root. It has become a welcome fixture on the African retailers also have access to the crop now.”
trading platform. We had one enquiry for a substantial
number of young trees from an outfit in the United A further adaptation from HelloChoice to motivate
States and have sold trees to Botswana, of all places! confidence in trading in a high value crop on the
That shows our platform is reaching a global client base, platform is every buyer is offered, for a fee, the
which has significant benefits and opportunities for local opportunity to sample kernel or nut inshell, as well as
nurseries.” offer independent sampling options.

Since its launch on August 11, five auctions have been Orford says: “This allows us to stand as a service able to
held, with each event further cementing the platform’s facilitate and increase price and quality access”.
reputation as a great addition to the macadamia nut
trade worldwide. A further development, he said, was the demand for
technical advice from potential growers and buyers,
The online auction is, as its founders hoped, fulfilling particularly in the rest of Africa.
the promise to provide “absolutely transparent access
to digitised rich market data and a more flexible and “We had a farmer contact Above: Macadamia consultant
accessible way of doing business”. us from Zimbabwe and expert, Rohan Orford
who wanted to plant
“We were aware the concept would make the macadamia trees. Not only
establishment jittery, but as we have made efforts to were we able to offer good
promote key regulatory stakeholders and engage with advice, we were able to
industry role players, it’s had just the opposite effect. put him and the respective
I think what the industry has seen is that we are not a experts in touch with each
flash-in-the-pan, that the auction is a fixture. We are other. These are spinoffs
here to stay!” we didn’t quite expect
from the auction platform
Orford said at the start, he, Jacobs and Jarvie had and we are delighted to
decided not to “overthink” their strategy and allow the see how it’s evolving and
concept to evolve and flow organically in response to growing to fill a very
what the market demanded. important and vibrant
space in the macadamia
industry.”

SPRING 2020 11

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PSHB, Euwallacea fornicatus, and
a typical gallery or network of tunnels
lined with the Fusarium symbiont.

Photo credit: Samantha Bush

Shot-hole borer poses
limited threat to macs – for now

As Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has called for
submissions on an intervention plan to tackle shot-hole borer beetle infestations,

research just released by the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute
(FABI) suggests macadamia orchards are not under threat for now.

Article & Image
Colleen Dardagan

SPRING 2020 13

1. Sugar fountain on avocado tree in 3. No clearly distinguished symptom
response to PSHB infestation. of PSHB infection on a macadamia
sample.
2. Frass from PSHB tunneling
protruding from a wild plum tree.

Pathogenicity assays. Inoculation with the symbiont, Fusarium euwallaceae, was conducted by (A) incubating sterile toothpicks
with the fungus for 2 weeks and (B) placing them in drilled holes in macadamia branches. (C) Some lesions developed after 6 weeks on
detached macadamia branches. (D) No lesions developed after 23 weeks on a live, relatively healthy macadamia tree.
14 THE MACADAMIA

The public was invited by the Department of But, she added, the industry was not out of the woods
Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Affairs to submit yet and the beetle was on the march in pecan orchards,
suggestions by the end of October 2020 on how to and decimating indigenous and alien trees in Gauteng
fight the march of the Polyphagous shot-hole borer, and the Western Cape. In short the shot-hole borer
which was first discovered in London plane trees in was a major threat to bio-diversity and the indigenous
the Pietermaritzburg Botanical Gardens in 2017. forests in the country.
“We believe the slow growth of the Fusarium
However, in research funded by the macadamia euwallaceae may be the reason we have not observed
industry body SAMAC, the University of Pretoria, reproduction in macadamia trees, both here in South
The Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Africa and in California and Israel. However, the
Biotechnology (CPHB) and NRF Thuthuka, it’s fungus is still introduced into the tree, so the long
believed macadamias are in fact what is termed a term effect remains an essential question to which we
“non-productive host” for the pest. don’t have the answer yet. And until we can answer
that accurately we cannot say for sure what risk the
The project was also supported by Danroc, which pest and its fungus combination poses to South Africa’s
sponsored the seedlings used in the seedling macadamia industry.”
pathogenicity trial, Mattison Farms, which provided In their report the researchers recommended a number
detached logs for the assays, and Shawn Fell, who of practical steps for farmers to manage potential
contributed to the setting up of the pathogenicity outbreaks of the pest.
assays. “We advise farmers to remove Castor Bean (Ricinus
communis) as the PSHB breed and multiply quickly in
Dr Gerda Fourie, a senior lecturer on the Macadamia the woody stems of older plants. Farmers should also
Protection Programme at FABI, who conducted closely monitor other reproductive trees grown close
the research with Professor Wilhelm de Beer and to their orchards such as English oak, London plane,
Dee Twiddy from the University of Pretoria, said maples, and box-elders, for example.”
preliminary trials were showing a hopeful outcome. Earlier this year the Minister of Agriculture, Land
Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza also
“Based on the results of this preliminary trial, the released draft control measures for the pest, in line
study’s outcome appears to be more optimistic than with the national Agricultural Pests Act.
initially anticipated. The lack of aggression shown
in the pathogenicity trials as well as the notably Image: By Ken Walker (Available online: PaDIL - http://www.
low number of confirmed cases of the PSHB in padil.gov.a) - http://www.padil.gov.au/pests-and-diseases/pest/
macadamia (three infested trees to date) provide a main/136019, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.
hopeful picture for growers,” she said. php?curid=45405376

Evidence of the beetle was found in three macadamia
trees, one in an orchard near Ballito on the KwaZulu-
Natal North Coast, and two in orchards near Port
Edward on the South Coast last year.

The borer, also known as a “fungal farmer”, bores into
wood tissue, creating a network of tunnels known
as a gallery. The beetle then inoculates the walls of
these galleries with specific fungi that serves as a food
source. Fusarium euwallaceae is one of the three main
fungal partners. The fungus is mildly pathogenic,
and the majority of tree fatalities attributed to the
beetle are a result of an increased fungal load, which
then blocks the vascular tissue in the tree, leading to
dieback.

Fourie said the beetle was unable to reproduce
without this symbiotic relationship and so far
results had shown the fungus grows very slowly in
macadamia trees, therefore limiting the potential of
the pest’s spread in orchards.

SPRING 2020 15

According to the measures it is compulsory for THE MACADAMIA
farmers to notify the relevant authorities if they
find shot-hole borer on their properties.
It is then vital that an inspection is undertaken
urgently to identify and confirm the presence
of the pest. Management measures have to be
implemented as well as the submission for a permit
to have the tree or trees removed. According to
the Act farmers are not authorised to remove the
infected trees without a permit and it is an offence
to do so.
Once measures have been taken to remove the
infected trees the authorities will again inspect to
make sure there is no evidence of the beetle before
giving the area or orchard the all-clear.
Fourie said FABI had made submissions to inform
the proposed legislation by both the Departments
of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment and
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

While different trees may show varying
signs of the presence of the Polyphagous
Shot-Hole Borer, these are the more
common signs of an infestation:
• Wilting leaves
• Dead or dying branches
• Small and randomly spaced holes in

the bark of the tree about the size of
a pen nib
• The holes may have stains around
them or
• Rings of white powder known as
sugar volcanoes or
• Resin may ooze from the holes

16

As group Food Safety Manager, Claire Taylor is
in charge of making sure the factory meets safety
standards in line with international requirements.

Integrity and trust key to high mac
food safety standards

Successfully maintaining food safety standards in a macadamia processing
factory means sticking to the rules day in and day out, regardless of how

mundane or trivial they might seem.

Article & Image
Lindi Botha

In a factory where tons of macadamia nuts are processed Taylor is responsible for ensuring every box of nuts
annually for export, food safety is not only a top priority, leaving the group’s three South African factories meets
but making sure standards remain high demands a stringent quality and food safety standards set down by
particular style of management that includes almost both international and domestic market customers.
fanatical attention to detail, says group Food Safety
Manager at Green Farms Nut Company (GFNC) Claire With an innate aversion to germs or more aptly put, a
Taylor. self-proclaimed germaphobe, Taylor said she has all the
attributes one could wish for in a food safety manager.

SPRING 2020 17

“Food safety is very much about consistency. Procedures While she wouldn’t have considered herself as a runner
must be followed consistently every single day at at first, Taylor said when she was told she would never
the same high standard and with the same dedicated finish South Africa’s legendry Comrades Marathon, her
attention to detail. I have to operate as though I am stubborn side kicked in and she decided to prove people
going to be audited every day. This means it really wrong. She put in the gruelling training and in fact,
is necessary to have an ingrained understanding of did complete the event.
what it actually means to produce food that is safe for
consumption and which includes, but is not limited to, “Finishing that race is such a mental thing, and of
personal hygiene, cleaning and sanitising,” she said. course your body takes a pounding as well. If your brain
can push through then you will get there. I believe
Taylor is a natural at her job and how she ended up in anyone can run the Comrades as long as they put their
the profession despite following her decision to study mind to it. So it’s definitely my stubbornness and my
veterinary science once she left school seems to have been strong will that got me through,” she said.
written in the stars.
An invitation to join a cycling tour through
“When I left school vet students had to study for a full Namaqualand during the spring flowering season also
BSc degree before they could study veterinary science. So stoked her passion for mountain biking and she again
I completed a BSc majoring in botany and zoology and started taking on more challenging routes. “The most
was all set to continue with the course, but then, as they extreme ride I did was a tour organised by the Louis
say, life happened! I took a job at a juicing facility in Trichardt cycle club from Venda to Louis Trichardt, over
Tzaneen, which meant I had to move from Johannesburg the mountain. The first day we did about 120km – it was
to this subtropical valley. Once here I studied for a really tough, I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry,
BTech degree in quality management. By then the dream but I learned so much from that trip. You just need to
of being a vet was permanently in the past.” keep on keeping on, no matter how hard the journey may
seem. This is also something I learnt from my mom, who
Tzaneen, however, proved a welcome change for her since is a strong-willed woman herself. She is a real go-getter
the outdoor activities were to her liking and the beautiful and after retirement, used her pension to open a primary
area meant she had plenty of opportunities to follow her school. I got this go-getter spirit and stubbornness from
love of running and mountain biking. her and my creativity and soft spot for animals from my
father.”

SPRING 2020 Image courtesy: Green Farms Nut Company
18

And these character traits, she said, have carried through The move to the Lowveld was another in the right
into her work direction, she said, as the area provides ample
opportunities to indulge in her love for the outdoors and
“For me there are no grey areas, adventure sports. Also, working with the Green Farms
it’s either right or wrong. I believe team has meant taking the job profile to another level.
this is a good attitude to have when
involved with food safety and quality “Everyone I work with is so passionate about what they
control because you need to be quite do. They are always looking to achieve a higher standard.
rigid. There is no flexibility with food They are so on the ball. And I have support to help me
safety. It’s a high risk environment do the best job that I possibly can. The people here work
because doing it wrong can have dire hard and they do it right. The best part of my job is
consequences. While I enjoy the job, it certainly the people I work with – they are fun, but hard
is very stressful. I have to put the final working and very knowledgeable.”
stamp of approval on every product
And while it may seem Above: Claire Taylor
and vouch for its safety.” cliched to say the bottom
line is about making sure
This natural affinity meant she was then appointed as what you say is what you
a quality manager at Tzamac Macadamia Processors do, Taylor said it was
in Tzaneen, before being appointed in 2019 as fundamental to her success.
the group quality manager at GFNC. Although “Food safety hinges on
GFNC has factories across three provinces – trust and integrity. Trust is
Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal – the job attached to a brand and if
required a move to White River to the company’s head you don’t have the trust of
offices. Here she is responsible for the food safety audits, the buyers and consumers,
making sure all of the factories comply constantly with you don’t have a market for
food safety standards. your product.”

SPRING 2020 Image courtesy: Green Farms Nut Company
19

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Durban’ Protea Engineering principals with
the first mobile de-husker to roll off their
production line. From left, Nicholas Nel,
Andrew Kelly and Jan-Willem van der Horst.

De-husking innovation saves
time and money

Teamwork between a top-flight KwaZulu-Natal macadamia farmer and a Durban
engineering firm has seen the development of a mobile de-husker aimed at saving

both time and money during South Africa’s annual nut harvest.

Article
Colleen Dardagan

Design and timing are behind a move by South Coast owned by he and his wife Karen, on the Oribi Flats in
macadamia farmer Robert Charlton-Shields and Durban’s southern KwaZulu-Natal.
Protea Engineering as they launch mobile de-husking
innovation to improve efficiencies in orchards. However, in a move that puts innovation and
development ahead of personal gain, he has handed
Never one to shy away from following through on a new over the machine’s design and the manufacture to
idea to improve efficiencies, Robert Charlton-Shields specialist precision machining firm Protea Engineering,
built the first mobile de-husker in 2014, which has been saying while he understood intellectual property was an
used since – with ongoing tweaks – at Fairview Farm, important consideration in any new piece of equipment,

SPRING 2020 21

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22 THE MACADAMIA

it was more important the benefits of the unit be needs. But in 2019 we shifted our strategic thinking
used for the greater good of the country’s burgeoning to the manufacture of a specific range of bespoke
macadamia sector. high-quality products.”

“I have realised the benefits of this unit on our farm over The mobile de-husker, he said, was a perfect fit for
the past few years and I believe the design and timing their re-aligned thinking.
is such that the industry needs these sorts of new ideas
sooner rather than later. As a grower, I feel it is equally “We were manufacturing a cherry picker that
important to support innovation in an industry in which was used very successfully by producers. We then
we are so vested to ensure it continues developing and explored whether the unit could be used in the
growing,” he said. avocado and macadamia industries. Specialists in the
latter industry said we should rather look to fill a gap
Charlton-Shields decided to build the mobile de-husker in the market for de-huskers, drying bins and fans.”
to improve operational efficiencies because he had to
send out a tractor and trailer daily to collect the bags Cass said after careful consideration a decision was
from the orchards. taken by the firm’s principals to develop a unique
product range specifically for the macadamia
“That meant our pickers had to stop what they were industry.
doing to load the trailer, return to the de-husking facility
and then unload the bags. The end result was we lost “We met Robert on his farm and I guess you can say
about an hour’s worth of picking time each day. We also the rest is history!”
had the problem of collecting and redistributing all of
the husks as mulch into the orchards. So the opportunity The first unit to be built by Protea Engineering has
costs came down to the double handling of both bags now rolled off the production line and is ready to
and husks and the increased rate in daily harvesting.” show what it can do.

The first mobile de-husker was built on the farm in “The wonderful aspect of our collaboration with
2014, with gradual improvements on the initial design Robert is that we have been able to add our
each season. “Over the past few years we have optimised expertise to a unit that has already had its design
the initial design. For example, where it was PTO-driven and performance thoroughly tested. And the
before, it is now fully hydraulic.” improvements we have made have been under the
guidance of and with the technical research provided
The improvements led to increased operational by Robert,” he said.
efficiencies in the number of tons per hectare de-
husked and reduced the turning circle of the machine, The new unit has an empty weight of 2.8 tons, a
minimising the overall time spent de-husking. hopper with a carrying capacity of three tons, and a
four-lane rear-mounted de-husker. The mobile unit is
The collaboration with Protea Engineering has also seen fully independent of the tractor PTO and is powered
additional improvements, including the optimisation of by a Lombardini LDW1003 engine. The chassis is
the hydraulics system’s torque and flow rate, reducing the mounted on flotation tyres to prevent compaction in
overall kilowatt requirements. Also, the engineers have the orchards. Further, the machine can be operated
redesigned the mechanical parts to reduce wear and tear while moving, and is equipped with bag straps
and cut back on the time required for repairs. A further and a bottom discharge opening. The augers offer
improvement is in the auger design to assist in removing secondary de-husking and sift out any smaller nuts,
nuts that are not fully de-husked, thus reducing the time sticks and debris picked up in the orchards.
needed for secondary de-husking.
All the manufacturing is carried out at the firm’s
Protea Engineering’s Shane Cass said the collaboration premises in Westmead outside Durban, which, said
with Charlton-Shields was exciting and had opened up Cass, makes it convenient and cost-effective for
new avenues of business in an industry that was on a farmers to have the unit serviced.
dynamic growth trajectory.
Charlton-Shields said the Protea Engineering unit
“Protea Engineering was founded in 1981 primarily would not only reduce the daily de-husking time
to service KwaZulu-Natal’s textile industry. However, but improve the tonnages de-husked in a day. “The
over the years we have had to evolve as the clothing and reduced operation cost in the new machine versus
textile industry in the province collapsed after the flood the current one means it will improve bottom-line
of cheap clothing into the country from China. Since earnings by cutting processing costs,” he added.
then we have prided ourselves on offering tailor-made
and intelligent engineering solutions for different client 23

SPRING 2020



In 1933 the first Nelmak1 was planted at the
ARC. The tree can still be found at the site.

Variety founder

The Macadamia sat down with expert Llewellyn Bolt to delve into the history
and origins of one of South Africa’s most sought-after nut cultivars, the Nelmak,
particularly as the debate on how to spell its name remains unresolved to this day.

Article
Lindi Botha & Barry Christie

In the late 1950s people living in the region of Nelspruit And while that puts to rest the origins of the name and
in what is now known as Mpumalanga province spoke how it was spelled, how the cultivar was developed and
mainly Afrikaans. As a result the names given to areas, how it became one of the most popular nut types grown
farms, and in this case, a macadamia cultivar, took on presently by South Africa’s macadamia farmers has
the spelling as dictated by the lingua franca – hence remained relatively obscured by the mists of time.
the naming of the Nelmak nut, referring to Nelspruit
Makadamia. Local is certainly lekker (good)

SPRING 2020 25

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26 THE MACADAMIA

In 1958 Bolt started working at the Agricultural When making the selections he said characteristics were
Research Council (ARC) in Nelspruit where his primary prioritised, such as oil quality, crackout, taste, and that
focus was the development of and research linked to the nut could be baked without it colouring. They found
sub-tropical crops. As Nelspruit is also known as South that, compared with the Nelmak1, Nelmak2 started
Africa’s Garden of Eden, Bolt wasn’t at all surprised to bearing nuts in its third year and produced healthy nuts.
find, growing in the area, two integrifolia trees that Since the shell was harder, insect damage was also less,
produced smooth nuts with a beautiful white kernel, and and gave a crackout of between 34% and 36%.
decided to start a breeding project with them.
“However, we found with the right
Despite what is today known as the Nelmak1, having fertilisers, water and leaf analysis,
already being planted at the research site, none of the we could get to a crackout of 42%.
resident researchers was working on developing the So Nelmak2 really could compete
cultivar because their primary focus was on avocados and with the best of the cultivars from
citrus. abroad. Furthermore, it is very well
adapted to the Lowveld conditions.
The decision to start a breeding project with the trees
wasn’t a difficult one for Bolt. Our own observation is that the
cultivar is also superior in flavour to
He placed an advertisement in the regional media asking any of the other cultivars we have. In
farmers to collect some of the trees from the centre at no fact, the Nelmak2 is recognised as a
charge and to plant them as ornamental trees or beside
the roads on their farms. world winner today,” he said.

More than 32 000 trees were planted across the country, Above: In 1933 the first Nelmak1 was planted at the ARC. The tree
from Stellenbosch in the Western Cape to Makhado can still be found at the site.
(formerly Louis Trichardt) in the Limpopo province,
north of the country. Above: Llewellyn Bolt still has the original research papers on grafting
macadamias, posted to him from Hawaii during the 1950s.
Once the trees began to bear, Bolt travelled the country
collecting cuttings from 26 of the best trees to start the
programme. Each cutting was grafted to the stem of the
existing Beaumont cultivar.

While he was the first person to do a successful grafting
of a macadamia cultivar, he lost the international title
by a mere six weeks! Prof Dick Hamilton from the
University of Hawaii beat him to complete the first
ever successful graft in 1965. This was despite the fact
that the university had already, in 1951, published a
document detailing how such a graft should be done.
Both Bolt and Hamilton used this document to do the
graft, with both men only succeeding 14 years later.

For the purpose of breeding evaluations Bolt planted
four of the best varieties from Hawaii, four of the best
from Australia and the 26 South African-grown trees to
ensure he could make informed comparisons.

The two varieties that came out tops after the period of
evaluation were the N26 sourced from Bertie le Roux in
the Levubu area and a variety originally sourced from
Soekmekaar farm near Nelspruit, which was where some
of the trees from the research centre had originally been
planted as ornamentals.

“We decided to give this latter cultivar a name connected
to the research council. Since it was identified as
Nelspruit Macadamia selection number 2, and the
language spoken was Afrikaans, the name Nelmak2 was
given. It was registered on 19 April 1973 and was one of
only two cultivars ever registered from that first trial,”
Bolt said.

SPRING 2020 27

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Linden built mesh cages around some
macadamia trees in the orchards to test
the impact the absence of bats would
have on yields and pest infestations.

Vilified bats ignite
research passion

Measuring the astonishing value of active bat colonies in South Africa’s macadamia
orchards has become a passion for a woman determined to alert farmers and the gen-

eral public to the critical role played by the little mammals in food production.

Article
Lindi Botha

As ongoing research uncovers the critical role played by Limpopo province to start a research project she hopes
bats in our ecosystems, European researcher Dr Valerie will change how farmers view the role of the little
Linden is passionate about changing public opinion mammals in their integrated pest control strategies.
that has generally resulted in the species being usually
misunderstood and mostly vilified for hundreds of years. Bats have always had a special place in her heart and
it was a natural choice to not only focus her research
Entranced by the bat populations of the Soutpansberg, on this species, but also relocate to an area where they
German-born scientist Dr Valerie Linden swopped her flourish.
life in Cologne for the lush valleys of South Africa’s

Red Sun Hortitech: Investing in the future of farming

As the demand for macadamia and avocados continues to increase globally, South Africa has a significant opportunity to tap into this need
and to grow this dynamic agricultural sector. For this to become a reality, we need to invest in creating centres of agriculture excellence that
advance the industry. RedSun Hortitech, a 5 star accredited nursery based in Tzaneen, Limpopo, has designed and developed a multi-million
rand macadamia and avocado facility, to produce more high yielding, disease-free trees.
The new facility boasts SGASA, SAMAC, GLOBALG.A.P. and ANA accreditations and certifications. It has been designed using state-of-the-art
systems and technology and comprises of several different divisions. These divisions include specialised motherblocks, climatised storage,
germination, transplanting, grafting, etiolation, rooting, weaning, grow-out and hardening facilities. Each section has its own infrastructure and
management team that facilitate the different growth and developmental stages that the trees go through.
The on-site motherblocks have been built over the past three years. They contain all the primary and unique controlled rootstocks, seed and
cultivars required for propagation and to match the best rootstocks and cultivars to climates and growing conditions. Seed, rootstock and
cultivar motherblocks assure the close monitoring, testing and traceability needed for disease free and high yielding genetic materials for
nursery propagation, on site.
RedSun Hortitech strives to be innovative and to grow the macadamia and avocado nursery industry. At the heart of the business is a drive
for simpler, better and faster processes that supports growers and aims to grow the industry as a whole. We want to ensure that the demand
for better trees, better yields and a growing competitive industry is being met. Our business is firmly focused on the future of farming and
being a support to our growers.

30 THE MACADAMIA

“I have always been concerned about the image of bats They also compared trees at the orchard edge next to
and their worldwide population decline due to a host natural or semi-natural vegetation, to trees further
of reasons, which include habitat loss. To use research inside the orchard, away from any natural habitat.
to change the image and perception of bats and to
aid the conservation efforts, while providing valuable “I monitored bat activity over three years (acoustic
information to farmers, was a perfect fit for me,” she monitoring using bat detectors), did monthly insect
said. counts on the trees, and assessed quality and yield at
the end of each season, identifying defects like the
Although a scientist at heart, Linden has always been different insect damages.”
drawn to applied sciences, where research has more than
theoretical value and can be applied in our day-to-day What Linden found was astonishing, proving that both
lives with an intrinsic value for everyone. bats and birds have a massive impact on bio-control in
macadamia trees.
She moved from Cologne, Germany, to South Africa
in January 2015 to start her PhD at the University of “Their absence results in immense decreases in
Venda. yield – up to 60% – and quality. The impact of bats
as a natural pest control in the orchards was also
“I had been to South Africa multiple times before and higher among trees planted close to natural habitat
had mostly stayed in the Soutpansberg at the Lajuma versus those planted further away from any natural
Research Centre,” she said. “That is where I met vegetation.
Professor Peter Taylor from the University of Venda in
2010. At that time I was working on a management plan “These patches of natural vegetation are also home
for a private nature reserve. I took the opportunity to to crop raiders like monkeys. My research showed,
join the professor on a night of catching and identifying however, that the benefits derived from these patches
bats. It was such an incredible learning experience that of natural vegetation outweighed the disadvantages by
I started co-operating with the centre for my bachelor a margin. Savings through higher biological control by
thesis on bat diversity in the Soutpansberg. In Germany bats and birds totalled up to US$5000 and control near
there are not even fifteen bat species and research topics these natural edges is much higher than the measured
are limited, so South Africa as a study area was much losses through crop raiding by monkeys, which was
more attractive to me.” around US$1600. To further investigate those species
identified as crop raiders, I installed camera traps at
During a stay in the country in 2014 Taylor told Linden ten farms in Levubu last year to allow proper insight
about a new collaborative research project, which she into the activities and impact of the different crop
said was an ideal PhD topic. raiding species. The project is continually expanding.
The more I work in the macadamia orchards the more
“The research was linked to various aspects focusing on observations I make that I want to look into!”
optimal land use in the Limpopo region, called Limpopo
Living Landscapes (LLL). The project was a collaboration MANAGING BATS
between several German and South African universities
and included the assessment of the bio-control services of Linden says by looking at the above numbers it
bats in agriculture,” she added. is evident bats and birds are very important in
macadamia or any other crop farming.
THE MACADAMIA TREE’S BEST FRIEND
“In the Levubu area where we conducted our research,
During her PhD research Linden focused on bats as a the bat diversity was very high, probably due to
natural pest control in macadamia orchards. being in the foothills of the Soutpansberg and with
many natural areas left untouched. But we found
She created a study environment where cages were built evidence that clutter-feeding bat species, which are
around macadamia trees to keep bats and birds away. generally more sensitive to disturbances and pesticide
She then monitored the effect of their absence on insect applications, are basically absent from the orchards. So
populations, yield and nut quality. although bats are around the orchards, farmers need
to be aware how their management can affect these
The cages were made of nylon mesh to keep large natural predators.”
animals at bay while still allowing insects access to the
trees. To distinguish between the effects of bats and The bats are known to be more active on organic
birds, some cages were closed at night only, others were farms, as they are sensitive to the use of pesticides,
closed during the day only, some were closed all the time Linden added.
and then there were some control trees which were not
enclosed at all.

SPRING 2020 31

Above: “They rely heavily on natural roost sites, such as large
Dr Valerie Linden indigenous trees. That means habitat conservation and
connectivity is very important. If their natural habitat
disappears, so will the bats. Artificial roosts, like bat
houses, cannot replace their natural roosts completely,
as they are only suitable for some species, but they are a
great way to establish large colonies of some bats around
the orchards and they have proved to be very effective.”

However, she warned farmers to be careful when
purchasing bat houses. “The most important part is
durability, since it can take up to five years for bats to
occupy a house, so ideally your bat house must be able to
last longer than that.”

While bats, or any natural predators, cannot completely
eliminate a pest, they can effectively control them.

“If farmers can establish healthy bat populations on their
farms, pest numbers and the related need for pesticides
will decrease. This in turn might increase bat activity in
the orchards and pest numbers will further decrease.”

THE BAT CONUNDRUM

The crucial role played by bats in nature is little
understood, and the animals themselves do not
make the research task any easier. Linden said bats
are under-researched simply because they fly and
because they are nocturnal.

“They are not easy to research. They have survived
for so long, but most species are in drastic decline.
Threats include wind turbines, in North America,
white nose syndrome, poaching, but mostly
roost and habitat destruction are the highest
contributors to their declining numbers.

“Many people are unaware of the benefits
provided by bats as well as their general presence,
so they are hardly missed and their declining
numbers are hardly noticed by the general public.”

Bats also reproduce slowly, far slower than other
small mammals, such as rodents, and only produce
a single youngster in a year. This means the
recovery of a population can take much longer.

Linden emphasised the importance of increased
awareness regarding the huge value of bats and
the services they provide. “Everyone should have
an interest in protecting these animals, which are
crucial in the production of food. Pest control is
important for agriculture and food production,
but the application of pesticides must be carried
out in an educated way to make sure there is little
or no impact on these little pollinators and seed
dispersers.”

If your equipment is in the storeroom gathering dust,
you could be missing out on rental income.

Why buy when you can rent?

The cost of on-farm equipment can be prohibitive, especially in a business
like macadamias where a return on investment is only realised after six
years. The rapid growth of the sharing economy has introduced many to a
new way of doing business, and agriculture has not been left behind.

Article & Images
Lindi Botha

In a sector with fast evolving technology, tying yourself Hennie Bezuidenhout, who manages rentals at Laeveld
down with a pricey tractor or spray cart could leave you Trekkers, said that since much of the work that needs to
behind when new efficiencies emerge. Likewise, staying be done with heavy machinery in macadamia orchards
ahead with the latest and greatest equipment can leave is seasonal, renting rather than buying made far more
your bank balance in dire straits. sense.
The solution lies in equipment rentals – an Uber for
tractors, of sorts – where farmers can rent what they need With new hectares being established every month,
and return the equipment when they are done, leaving ripping, discing or land preparation equipment was in
the risks of capital investment with the owner. high demand on a rental basis.

SPRING 2020 33



“Once the orchards are established lime and gypsum The Axl app was a result of the unforeseen challenges
is added maybe every three years, and this is where we that are inherent in farming. “Uncertainty and change
find most farmers are making use of rental equipment. are something we will never see the back of. They are
This is true for both smaller farmers who don’t have the inherent in our lives now and going forward. Access
liquidity to make big capital investments in machinery, to the right machinery at the right time is vital for all
and also for larger farmers, who are expanding quickly farmers.”
and don’t have enough equipment to service all areas of
the farm.” IMPROVED ACCESS

The lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has Neumann said Axl presents an alternative way for farmers
also meant that spare parts for tractors have not always to access mechanisation. This, in turn, makes it easier for
been readily available, further boosting the rental market. emerging farmers to enter the sector. “Capital equipment
costs can put a lot of financial strain on new or smaller
RENTALS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS operations. Our vision is for necessary equipment to
be made available for rental so that farmers who do not
With the popularity of the rental economy gaining want to or who cannot purchase capital equipment have
traction, AFGRI Agri Services has sought to streamline the appropriate access.”
the rental process by developing an online app that
allows farmers to rent their equipment to other Patrick Roux, managing director of AFGRI equipment,
users, reducing the downtime of their equipment and added that Axl went beyond an online service. “It breaks
increasing the value of their investment. The Axl app down the traditional barriers to accessing mechanisation
connects equipment owners with those looking to rent, for all farmers by creating a secure and shared
and provides a trusted platform where the interests of environment that encourages us to do more with less. In
both parties are looked after, which bodes well for the times like these, this has never been more important.”
established and emerging farmer sector.
Furthermore, the app will allow equipment owners
“This kind of equipment rental to fully utilise their equipment throughout the year,
service provides an opportunity for getting a better return on investment. This means the
people with machinery that is not equipment’s owner is also in a better position to keep up
always in use to rent their equipment with new technologies.
to other farmers. This is especially
good for upcoming and small-scale Equipment rentals are especially useful to farmers who
need their equipment only for a certain time of the year,
farmers who can’t always afford and who are in an area where alternating season crops
the equipment, or someone whose require machinery.
machines might have broken down.
Sometimes a farmer just needs an The online platform enables the convenient rental of
extra tractor or spraying cart and farm equipment, facilitating the contract between renter
buying another one would not make and owner, and providing a secure payment platform,
sense,” said Niki Neumann, head of all without either having to set foot outside their doors.
This enables service providers – equipment owners,
AFGRI technology services. retailers, and contractors – to build their businesses and
grow revenue streams through the optimisation of the
She said access to the right machinery at the right time rental system.
was a critical success factor for farmers. “Whether it is a
small, emerging, or large commercial operation, this is The payment process is handled by Axl and while the
an ongoing challenge for farmers of all sizes, especially renter needs to make an immediate payment to secure
now, as the global pandemic has left supply chains under rental, the money is released to the owner only once both
immense pressure. Uncertainty remains in the minds of parties are happy with the service. The user and owner
our customers and currency volatility has also resulted in are both rated by the other party, just like on Uber, so
an increase in equipment costs.” customers can build an online reputation.

Roux said there was also a GIS system in place where
farmers could indicate the exact piece of land for which
they required the equipment, and owners could monitor
the usage online.

SPRING 2020 35

Equipment owners can apply to Above: Patrick Roux Above: Niki Neumann
list their services at any point
and have the freedom to decide
on the length of time for which

they are renting it out.

Roux said that in the long-term, the aim is to
deliver an innovative digital service that enables
farmers to drive sustainability, profitability, and
productivity for their business.

The global farm equipment market is projected to
reach USD113 billion by 2025 from an estimated
USD 92.2 billion in 2020 at a Compound Annual
Growth Rate of 4.2% during the forecast period.

The primary reason for growing farm equipment
market is the government’s efforts to popularise
mechanised farming methods. The growing
popularity of rental services is also expected to
attract farmers to adopt modern farming methods.

36 THE MACADAMIA

Johnathan Maknanisa, scout for Maluma Boerdery,
found 95 stinkbugs on 15 trees during his early
morning scout. Since four per tree is the economic
threshold, Joubert prescribed an application of pesticide.

Better stinkbug control: lose the
pre-programmed spraying regime!

In this, the second in our three-part series looking at better stinkbug control meth- 37
ods, The Macadamia writer Lindi Botha focuses on the importance of regular
and proper scouting for the most effective crop quality management.

Article & Image
Lindi Botha

SPRING 2020



Stinkbugs are a worrying thorn in the flesh of macadamia WHEN IN DOUBT, SCOUT
farmers and it would appear their numbers are on the up,
despite the increasing use of pesticides in our orchards. Scouting for stinkbugs is time consuming, but crucial
Experts warn that if the industry is to survive, a for optimum control. Joubert says farmers should divide
paradigm shift is needed to treat the problem holistically their farms into smaller units, dedicating a team to each
by finding sustainable and intelligent solutions for unit and managing these accordingly.
infestation control.
“We have Avima insect nets placed on trees on our farm
“If farmers spray according to a fixed calendar and on trial sites in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
programme, they are already caught up in a race they We are still waiting for the final results from the latter
can’t and won’t win,” says researcher, farmer and owner two provinces, but in Levubu they have shown promise.”
of the Levubu Centre of Excellence Dr Elsje Joubert.
Stinkbugs lay their eggs on the nets and once the
An expert in the production and growing of macadamias, nymphs hatch and come into contact with the net, they
Joubert has spent much of her career studying ways to die. The nets definitely play a role in preventing large-
improve crop quality and crackout percentages. She scale breeding in the orchards, although she says the
says it has now become more evident than ever that greatest benefit is that the presence of stinkbugs in the
the increased use of pesticides in orchards is not only nets warns others of their presence.
counter-productive to the advance of the industry but
has had little or no effect on improved yields. “Once the number of stinkbugs scouted reaches a
critical level, you will have to apply your pesticides in a
“For example, on a 1 000ha farm, a farmer will struggle clever way. Alternate between active ingredients and pay
to apply pesticides to his or her whole farm in just three attention to the residual effects of the chemicals.”
weeks. As a result they will end up in a cycle where a
tractor is permanently circulating through the orchards, Critically, Joubert says the amount of pesticide
spraying pesticides. Once the driver finishes at the one applications can be reduced by scouting every week and
end, he will have to start again from the beginning. then only having to spray the problem areas. “So instead
Managing pest infestations in this way makes it really of applying a blanket application to the whole farm, you
difficult to keep tabs on or to understand what is only spray certain areas based on scouting.
happening in the orchards. All they are doing is keeping
up a near automated spraying regime without checking
to see what is living, dying or surviving there. The result
of this kind of pest management is the natural predators,
pollinators and cross pollinators suffer. If the good guys
suffer then the crop suffers and slowly but surely the
SKR (sound kernel recovery) will dwindle, if it hasn’t
already.”

She says failing to scout for pests and just spraying
according to the calendar is ill-advised. “To illustrate
this, in the first week of March hordes of stink bugs
might fly into the orchard. But if the farmer isn’t using
scouts and the calendar programme says spraying is
only necessary in three weeks’ time, well, that means
the stinkbugs are left to feast on the nuts for the next
three weeks. And then when the farmer finally sprays,
masses of dead bugs fall out of the trees making it look
as though the pesticide application has really worked –
until he gets his quality sheet from the processor and
all he can see is that the unsound kernel percentage has
rocketed.”

Joubert advises farmers to return to basics, look after the
ecology in the orchards, and farm using all-inclusive or
holistic methods.

SPRING 2020 39

Advertorial

Safire Co-op offers enhanced orchard cover for growers

Safire Crop Protection Co-operative announced leave crop. There are unavoidable risks: fire,
increased cover for macadamia orchards and introduced wind and hail can damage trees, so insurance
cover for other orchard types in the October 2019 issue cover is vital.”
of The Macadamia. A year later, this specialist insurance
product is receiving a lot of attention. Farmers who For personalised attention, discuss your
have not previously had cover for growing macadamia macadamia or other orchard insurance needs
orchards and other orchard types including citrus, olive, with Safire Crop Protection Co-operative
avocado, vineyards and pecans can now be protected operative on 033 264 8500.
by Safire Crop Protection Co-operative.
Contact Gareth on 083 384 4788 /
As Safire Crop Protection Co-operative continuously gsmallbones@safireinsurance.com or
enhances its products in line with market demand, it Ruth Bezuidenhout on 083 631 1264 /
has made some additions to its orchards cover. “We rbez@safireinsurance.com.
launched our macadamia cover three years ago, adding
to our plantation and sugar cane products,” says Gareth
Smallbones, Technical Support Specialist at Safire Crop
Protection Co-operative. “Over time, we have extended
our product from the initial fire cover to offering cover for
wind, hail, and malicious damage to trees, and now also
offer fire cover on the fruit as well.”

While macadamias are one of the country’s most
profitable crops, it’s not a quick and easy process.
Establishment costs are relatively high, and income is
only realised once the trees are four years and older
when the first crop is harvested. Pests and
disease are an issue but can be controlled
with careful farming practices. Gareth
says, “Macs are not a plant-and-

Ruth Bezuidenhout, GM of Safire Crop Division with THE MACADAMIA
Gareth Smallbones, Technical Support Specialist

40

“If you look at what each pesticide application costs and In the final article in this series we will look at reliance
you do the calculations of blanket spraying versus only on natural predators and the role of cover crops and
problem areas, you will be surprised by how much money pruning techniques in the fight against stinkbugs.
you save. Yes they can fly away but when you spray while
it is still cool and the stinkbugs haven’t started flying, ** Joubert wishes to clarify her statement on the
your chemical effect is good. But you need to scout (i.e. efficacy of aerial sprays in our previous article
pick up what lies on the ground) again to make sure your titled Better stinkbug control: it’s all about tree
application was effective. Yes, this is a lot of management health. She said aerial sprays, using combinations
and it is time consuming, but that is farming.” of a diamide and pyrethroid, must be used to
combat stinkbugs, not organophosphates, as was
She advises farmers to employ one person to do the reflected in the article.
scouting every day, as this is still cheaper than spraying
the whole orchard, in addition to the environmental
benefits, which will also go a long way to improve yields
and crackouts.

The nets on the Joubert farm are three
years old already and still do a good job
in aiding the detection of stinkbugs.

SPRING 2020 41

• We specialise in macadamia tree production. all our trees are hand grafted Beaumont
seedlings, graft material is sourced from our best producing trees.

• We take special care in the early stages to ensure well-formed root structure.
We use only a mixture of composted pine bark and river sand for our planting medium.

• Technical advice based on our own farm experience
• Open for Orders, trees available in 2021

Farm Welgevonden 36, Louis Trichardt, Limpopo

Contact: Keagan Truter 072 042 8276 | E-mail: [email protected] | web: www.albasini.co.za

COASTALS

BRANCH NETWORK

Empangeni: 035 787 0114 Eshowe: 035 474 1106 Eston: 031 781 1721
Gingindlovu: 035 337 1526 Harding: 039 433 1025 Marina Beach: 039 313 0061

Monzi: 035 550 5725 Mtubatuba: 035 550 0246 Nkwaleni: 0C35oa46st0a0ls61C8orporate ID

Paddock: 039 679 1932 Port Edward: 039 311 2346 Port Shepstone: 039 685 4156
Richmond: 033 212 4386 Stanger: 032 551 2585 Umhlali: 032 947 1120
Umzinto: 039 974 1137 Umzumbe: 039 684 6184

www.coastals.co.za I 031 508 8000
[email protected]

42 THE MACADAMIA

| 2021 DIGITAL MARKETING

The Macadamia is also available for *
free viewing and download on the *
website. The website also provides
a platform for stakeholders in the *
industry to further their reach *Image courtesy: Green Farms Nut Company
through website banners or side bar
advertisments. THEWMEABCSAITDEAMIARfoetaattiunorgwinHngowmaelebinspkiategto.ebanner
your
The Macadamia is also distributed
by our extensive and growing social mRocot1nhon8rnatoh0truVr0t(aiAg.1c0cTh2l0te)atSmspoOn/iedobdRyrenloodRmtubghea1rosprco5nioogaw0tsnndh0nttv.,sr(e0w6arw0ctemitpbt)heosernicxttelhi.ck
media network, in the form of blog
posts, monthly newsletter, Facebook,
and Linkedin posts, with a reach of
approximately 250 000 views.

https://www.facebook.com/
MacadamiaSouthAfrica/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/
macadamia-sa-magazine/

THE MACADAMIA
MONTHLY AVERAGE:

Website Page Views: 14 000
Facebook Impressions: 250 000

Website Advert views: 6 500

ADVERTISING:

Belinda Mockridge
083 653 7021
[email protected]

www.themacadamia.co.za

Image courtesy: Green Farms Nut Company

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www.dry-mac.co.za | [email protected] | Tel +27 (31) 466 6909 | +27 (82) 469 3186

Certainty is Vital When Spraying

Dian Pretorius from Brondal, Limpopo was recently featured Contact FarmTrack for information.
in Farmer’s Weekly for his technologically advanced Tel: 021 880 1163 or visit www.farmtrack.co.za
approach to Macadamia production. We caught up with Dian
to hear how FarmTrack assisted his crop output and site
management with precision tracking.

Their farms equal about 250ha, managing that volume
requires a lot of planning and good management.

Dian mentioned they were able to cut down significantly
on wastage of diesel, chemicals and saved loads of time,
since installing FarmTrack on their spraying tractors. “The
best thing about FarmTrack is I have absolute certainty on
which rows were been sprayed and which still needs to be
covered. Skipping rows directly affects our bottom line, so
keeping track of sprayed sections is vital. FarmTrack also
helps me to track per ha worked and monitor chemicals
used on certain blocks. So if I know 6000L is used to spray
1ha, I can easily calculate how the exact amount needed for
all my spraying.”

Knowing where all his tractors are at any given time, even
allowed Dian to switch to night-time spraying.

“Honestly, I know I’m not using FarmTrack to its full
potential yet. So far, it’s helped with time and resource
management, and download data for exporting purposes”,
Dian adds.

Advertorial

nutsBook review
& bolts

Farming: England his grandfather was dead and his father was
a ‘fantastic struggle’ up to his neck in debt. Unless they could re-think their
farming methodologies, the centuries-old inheritance was
In a recent interview with BBC HARDTalk anchor “doomed”.
Steven Sachur, author and English Lake District farmer
James Rebanks made it clear why he believes farmers Rebanks has planted 12 000 trees, rerouted the rivers
across the globe must take a step back from large- across his land to create wetland areas, dispensed
scale carbon intensive agribusiness and return to more with insecticides and sacrificed some arable land to
sustainable methods of producing food for a growing encourage the return of wildlife. But, perhaps even more
world population. importantly, he has turned his attention to the care of
the soils.
Rebanks, whose family has farmed sheep and cattle on
the exposed hills of England’s Lake District for more And while he agrees there is a “fine line between
than 600 years, has just released his latest book, English Utopianism and bullshit” and “beauty doesn’t pay the
Pastoral: An Inheritance. bills”, for the past two years the farm has turned a decent
profit.
His first book, The Shepherd’s Life, turned the farmer
into a social-media sensation with people from across Whether it’s fair or not fair to compare the “fantastic
the globe following the activities on this jaw-droppingly struggle” of farming in England’s Lake District with
beautiful farm in real time. the life and death struggle of South Africa’s farmers,
the book is a great read for those who wish to put their
And while you might be wondering what a sheep and feet up, push aside their farming worries for a time, and
cattle farm in England has in common with a macadamia reboot while remembering that “to farm sustainably
operation here in South Africa, Rebanks’ story is of an and stay solvent is a Sisyphean task”. Or put simply, a
inheritance: one that affects us all. It tells of how rural never ending commitment that is not only rewarding
landscapes around the world were brought close to but critically important to the welfare of all future
collapse and how the age-old rhythms of work, weather, generations, whether or not it’s sheep grazing on the
community and wild things were lost. hillsides of the Lake District or macadamia nuts ripening
in the African bushveld.
It is also the story of how Rebanks left school at 15 and
ran away to Australia, where the vast scale of farming at
first impressed him and then depressed him.

He became homesick for the “revered” farming traditions
his grandfather had taught him. When he returned to

46 THE MACADAMIA

Macadamia Praline
Avocado Ice Cream

Recipe by
Annelle Whyte

The Macadamia’s chef extraordinaire, Annelle Whyte • Remove the pan from the heat and pour the
invites readers to join her and her daughter, Stella mixture evenly across all the macadamias. You can
in macadamia heaven with her unique “super food” use a fork to gently spread the mixture around to
Macadamia Praline Avocado ice cream ensure all the macadamias are well coated

First up, you do not need ice-cream makers • Leave the praline to cool until hard (you can place
or any other convoluted and obscure kitchen the pan into the fridge or freezer to speed this up if
necessary)
gadgets.
• Once hard, using a fork, knife, or your hands,
With that out of the way, this is a delicious crumble the praline to the size pieces you would
(somewhat) healthy indulgence. If anyone asks, like in your ice-cream

the answer is: it contains TWO superfoods, And then, the avocado ice-cream:
so what is not to love?
Ingredients
Especially now as we hot up for summer
and hopefully freer days! 3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted (or only 2
avocados if you would like to dial it down a bit)
A three-part process that your kids will love
being involved in, especially licking the 1 can of condensed milk (or 1 ½ can if you prefer
condensed milk can, as my four-year-old your ice cream a little sweeter)
daughter did, old school style!
1 tablespoon lemon juice
To start, the macadamia praline:
2 cups of double thick cream
Ingredients
Method
300g macadamias (roughly chopped or in pieces)
lightly toasted in a pan or low oven • Add all the ingredients to a blender until smooth.
Or you can use a hand-held electric beater to mix
425g light brown sugar until smooth (make sure no avo chunks or pieces
remain)
125ml whole milk
• Transfer the mixture to the freezer for 2 or 3 hours
1 tsp vanilla essence until it begins to set, but is still soft enough to stir
the macadamia praline in before allowing it to set
1tsp salt fully

80g butter • The avo adds to the ice cream’s creaminess, but
what you may not expect is how wonderfully it lifts
I know, it looks a little like the ingredients for fudge! the ice-cream to new refreshing heights, the subtle
avo flavour remains in a light yet creamy treat!
Method
• To finish: the melding of heaven:
• Get a large baking pan at the ready and spread the
toasted macadamia pieces evenly in it to use later • Remove the half set soft ice cream from the freezer
and mix in half to two-thirds of the praline. Saving
• Mix the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan the other half or remaining third to sprinkle on top
and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until and individual servings
the sugar has melted
• Transfer the ice-cream mixture to a freezer-safe tub
• Turn up the heat and bring to the boil for a couple (an empty shop-bought ice-cream tub is about the
of minutes until it forms “hard-ball stage” right size) and sprinkle more praline on top

• “Hard-ball”: the syrup will form thick, “ropey” • Leave to set fully overnight and voila!
threads as it drips from the spoon. The sugar
concentration is rather high now, which means
there is less and less moisture in the sugar syrup.
A little of this syrup dropped into cold water will
form a squidgy ball)

SPRING 2020 47

I cannot tell you enough how worth a try this is, whether
it is to make the praline only, ice cream only, or both!

Above: Stella Whyte enjoys the first taste of her mother, 48
Annelle’s delicious Macadamia Praline Avocado Ice Cream.

Look out for more recipes in all upcoming editions
of The Macadamia magazine.

Annelle Whyte
Annelle Whyte is the founder of sector-specific
agricultural communications agency Koko & Tree.
She grew up in an agricultural mecca in South
Africa and believes food is one of the world’s most
strategically important industries.
Previously, Annelle held communications roles
internationally in a variety of sectors, representing
multinational listed entities as well as smaller family-
owned businesses. She graduated from Stellenbosch
University with a commerce degree in 2004.
SPRING 2020