There are currently initiatives underway to build a large wind turbine plant near Wolseley and a few of the turbines will be located on Romansrivier. We know that Wolseley will be a good site for wind turbines as the nets over our Romansrivier’s orchards are there, due to this wind! As part of this project, the company DIABOR is currently doing exploratory drilling operations to determine which sites at Romansrivier will be [...]
There has been great excitement at Romansrivier where the workers are pruning trees with electric pruning shears from Felco. Felco electric shears represent a big improvement on manual pruning as it is possible to prune much faster with these pruning shears than using traditional manual pruning shears. There has been a 50% improvement in productivity compared to the traditional pruning method. Feedback from the workers that are using these shears is very [...]
Justin Baartman has been working in the agricultural sector for 20 years, and in this time, he has progressed from general worker to production manager at Romansrivier. He has always dreamed of pursuing tertiary studies, and Graaff Fruit presented Justin with the opportunity to follow this ambition. In 2009 Justin completed his B. Agri Degree. He has been employed at Romansrivier since then and still nurtured the dream to further his tertiary [...]
As part of our ongoing initiative to encourage good health amongst our staff, Graaff Packing recently arranged for an information session at the pack house about Covid-19 and the importance of receiving the Covid-19 vaccination. Dr Doubell from the Witzenberg region’s Department of Health visited the pack house and addressed the staff and answered questions about the risks of Covid-19 and the benefits of the vaccination.
Jerrie Fredericks, Christi van den Heever and Doppies Rossouw from Rietfontein with crates of cherries during the harvesting process. The team at Rietfontein has just completed the first sizable harvest of cherries from the orchards planted on the farm in 2018. The farm has 6.5ha of cherries and they have produced well. The climate at Rietfontein is ideal for cherries and the production team on the farm have mastered the production of [...]
Graaff Fruit has installed outdoor gym equipment on their Lushof and Romansrivier production units. This makes it possible for our staff and their children to practice a healthy lifestyle on the farms and the new installations are certainly proving very popular!
During the last 10 days of June and early July our region has received considerable rainfall as illustrated in photo above taken at Rietfontein last week. The good rainfall is excellent news for Graaff Fruit as this is essential to fill our dams and improve our water security for irrigation during the harvest ahead. The cold cold weather is also excellent for the farm and the environment as the cold units assist [...]
The matriculants living on our farms recently received their results for the senior certificate exams, written after an extremely disruptive school year. Graaff Fruit would like to congratulate the successful 2020 matriculants on their considerable achievement. Earlier in 2020, Graaff Fruit donated and distributed 25 laptop computers to the high school pupils of staff members who live on the Graaff Fruit farms. The funds for this project were sourced from premiums returned [...]
The proud management team at Rietfontein with the Delecta Producer of the Year Award. They are: Back Row, fltr: Jerrie Fredericks, Jan Janse, Jaco Mouton, Andries Visagie, Roelof Janse and Pieter Rossouw. Front Row, fltr: Lizette Engelbrecht, Christi van den Heever, Chelesté Jantjies and Rozanne Carolus. Graaff Fruit's Rietfontein production unit was recently awarded the Producer of the Year award from Delecta Exports. Rietfontein manager Christi van den Heever says that [...]
Above: Graaff Packing employees hiked to Koekedouw Dam in aid of Cancer and general health awareness. In October, a group of roughly 50 Graaff Packing staff members undertook an organised hike to the Koekedouw Dam. Along with the main organiser Rachel Engelbrecht of Graaff Packing, Graaff Fruit food safety official Yavini September assisted with the planning and explained the purpose of the event as follows. “The motivation for this hike was [...]
Above: The “Jerusalema” dance challenge performance in action at Graaff Fruit packhouse on 3 September. The popular “Jerusalema” dance challenge has been taking social media by storm and creating a positive spirit following the Covid-19 pandemic. People around the world are sharing videos of themselves dancing to the hit song Jerusalema by South African musician Master KG, featuring the voice of South African songstress Nomcebo. In response to this trend, Graaff [...]
During November and December 2019 Graaff Fruit, with the assistance of several other generous sponsors, tackled and completed a considerable drought relief drive. In total, we supplied 11 000 bales of oat hay (16 double truck loaded full) to stock farmers in the drought-stricken in regions across the Karoo and also in Namibia. The oat hay was produced at Graaff Fruit's Rietfontein production unit and dispatched from there. PJ Bester Vervoer transport [...]
Above: A group of Lushof’s employees busy with their Workplace Challenge activities. From left to right: Jaco Oranje,Willem Segels, Romano Galant and Gert Maarman. “Our first module of the Workplace Challenge has been completed successfully and our 24 mini businesses are doing well,” explains Graaff Fruit’s Food Safety Officer Shireé Paulse. She added that during January Graaff Fruit commenced with their monthly internal audits. Shireé is also the Graaff Fruit internal [...]
Above: Graaff Packing Woolworths Division team proudly display their “The Difference” award that Graaff Fruit recently received from Woolworths. They are from left to right: Barelucia Galant, Marlene Joseph, Raqeline Isaacs, Brozene Moses, Mina Cloete, Welene van Rooi, Lynne Paulse, Hendry Kruger, Anthea Maarman and Domonique Davids. ----------------------- Graaff Fruit’s dedicated Woolworths fruit packing division was established in 2004 and we have an established tradition of supplying quality fruit to Woolworths. Therefore [...]
Graaff Fruit management during one of the Workplace challenge training sessions underway at Graaff Fruit. Graaff Fruit has started with the Workplace Challenge (WPC), a proactive ongoing training initiative to actively encourage and facilitate negotiated change within the workplace in order to improve productivity and job creation. Our management team is fully committed to this exciting new challenge and the full management team, including our CEO, middle management and team leaders are [...]
Above: Rietfontein crèche and pre-school principal Clerina Coenraad (left) and Rietfontein Waitrose Foundation committee member Rozanne Carolus with one of the stunning new interior murals painted by Funky Murals at the Rietfontein crèche. The Waitrose Foundation is the corporate social responsibility entity attached to the premium UK retailer Waitrose. The Foundation is committed to investing in the socio-economic development of farm workers and their families on the farms that supply Waitrose. As [...]
Above, from left to right: Leopont Properties shareholders Harry Thorpe, Patrick Maart, Jacobus Mietas (back), Pieter Jantjies, Piet Snyers, Piet Swarts and Jacobus Visagie in their Transvalia peach orchard. It was all smiles at Welgemeen Farm as the shareholders of Leopont Properties, the farm’s management company, were preparing to harvest their first fruit for the current harvest. “We plan to harvest these Transvalia peaches tomorrow and we are excited for the harvest [...]
Graaff Fruit is proud to announce that Rosemary Sanda from Romansrivier has the honour of being chosen as the best NQF Level 4 agricultural learnership student in South Africa! Rosemary works at Romansrivier and is head of technical operations, supervisor for the agricultural chemicals storage room and quality controller. In October she won the National AgriSETA award for the best achievement in an NQF Level 4 Learnership, Farm Management. “During 2016 Rosemary [...]
We are proud to announce that Christi van den Heever, manager at our Romansrivier production unit, was recently nominated as the Delecta Stonefruit producer of the year for 2016/ 2017. At Romansrivier he manages 80 hectares of stonefruit, 65% of which is harvested between October and December annually. Delecta commended his commitment to quality as 85% of the product from Romansrivier arrived in the markets without any quality issues. As Romansrivier is [...]