The 2021/2022 summer production season that is coming to an end may be considered one of the most challenging growing seasons of the last decade, especially for the citrus industry.
Growers have been squeezed from all sides: under pressure from rising input prices (sometimes more than doubling), and markets that are unstable, with an oversupply of fresh produce. The strong rand has not counted in our favour, further forcing growers to cut costs in order to reduce their risk.
As the saying goes: if there is no money, there is no money.
Risk needs to be critically assessed, and growers need to understand where to save before they make decisions that benefit them in the short term but bankrupt them in the long-term. In the short term, you can neglect your trees while paying in on production for the long run.
The responsible choice would be to carefully maintain your trees by investing in your soil and your crops, choosing long-term sustainable business partners, and implementing integrated solutions on the farm that allow you to farm for cartons per hectare, and not just tons per hectare.
With every crisis and challenge there is an opportunity and solution. This is where choosing your business partner, with a long-term sustainable view is critically important. And, I believe this is where the true value of Andermatt Madumbi comes into play, to unlock real, long-term value for each farmer.
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De Wet Steenkamp is an Andermatt Madumbi Biospecialist, based in Somerset West, Western Cape. De Wet supports a wide range of growers in the Eastern and Western Cape regions. For more info contact: dewet.steenkamp@andermatt.co.za
Die 2021/2022 somer produksie seisoen wat einde se kant toe staan, word beskou as een van die mees uitdagendste seisoene in die laaste dekade, veral vir die sitrus bedryf.
Die produsent word van alle kante af gedruk in ʼn knyptang van inset pryse wat styg, waarvan sommiges meer as verdubbel, en markte wat onder druk is vanweë die onstabiliteit en oor aanbod van vars produkte. Die sterk rand tel ook nie in ons guns nie en dit forseer produsente om kostes te sny om so hul risiko’s te verminder.
Soos die gesegde sê, as daar nie geld is nie, is daar nie geld nie.
Die risiko moet krities geëvalueer word oor waar om te spaar, voor jy jouself bankrot spaar want korttermyn- en langtermyn besparing stem nie noodwendig ooreen nie. In sulke tye kry jy twee uitgangspunte. In die kort termyn kan jy jou bome en kosbare grond afskeep terwyl jy op die langtermyn kan inboet op jou produksie.
Daarom is dit belangrik om noukeurig jou bome te onderhou deur te belê in jou grond, kwaliteit produkte, en geïntegreerde oplossings op die plaas te implementeer, wat jou in staat stel om te boer vir kartonne per hektaar en nie net tonne per hektaar nie.
Met elke krisis en uitdaging is daar ʼn geleentheid en oplossing. Dit is hier waar jy die regte besigheidsvennoot, wat ʼn volhoubare en langtermyn visie het, moet identifiseer. Ons by Andermatt Madumbi glo ons kan in samewerking die potensiële waarde ontsluit van elke produsent op ʼn langtermyn volhoubare wyse.
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De Wet Steenkamp is ʼn Andermatt Madumbi Biospesialis, gebaseer in Somerset West, Wes Kaap. De Wet ondersteun ʼn groot area van produsente in die Wes en Oos Kaap. Vir meer inligting, kontak De Wet by: dewet.steenkamp@andermatt.co.za