Growing crops in South Africa will never be the same again after the launch of the multimillion-rand HortiDemoCentre in Stellenbosch last week. Stellenbosch University (SU) and other consortium partners in the agricultural landscape, including local and Dutch companies, in partnership with the Dutch government launched the centre at SU’s Welgevallen experimental farm in Stellenbosch.
The centre is a first for the country, as research and advanced technology from South Africa and the Netherlands was put together to enhance climate smart farming in the South African landscape.
Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice Chancellor of SU, said the “world-class centre” is the first of its kind in SA.
“It is the first facility of its kind in the country to include learning, teaching and research to enhance the smart growth of crops, and data emanating from this would be valuable not only to South Africa, but also the continent. This project is also one of a kind because the community stands to benefit from it.”
“It is also a clear example of how a university can use research to the best benefit of our society. I mean this is a great data hub to help our small-scale farmers, even commercial farmers, for the future of farming in our country.”
Dr Estelle Kempen, lecturer in Agronomy at SU, said the facility will create employment for local residents and empower small-scale farmers and students alike with knowledge and entrepreneurial skills.
“There are two types of empowerment that come with the project,” she pointed out. “One is the direct job creation, and we have already employed a few people from the local community and will employ more in future as the project grows.
“The second one is more indirect where we will offer workshops for especially local farmers and farm workers to enhance their skills, and also for students who might want to open their own business one day.”
According to Kempen the short courses for this type of horticultural farming is still in the planning phase and will be made available for participants in 2023.
The centre is a 3 000 m² multi-span greenhouse that was specifically designed for the South African climate. The greenhouse currently houses a special tomato which, according to Kempen, will be grown for about a year, after which it will be sent to a local supplier for distribution to retail stores.
She said the proceeds will be invested back into the project. “All the money will come back to the project, and we will use it to extend it further. We are also looking at making the greenhouse bigger so we can grow more crops in future.”
Emiel Mulder, spokesperson for the Netherlands Embassy in South Africa told Eikestadnuus, said the Dutch government had initiated this consortium to share Dutch knowledge in the agricultural landscape to the rest of the world.
“The Netherlands is the second biggest exporter in the world, but we wanted to do more, so we realised that the best way to bring about real impact is through sharing knowledge, and that is how this consortium came about.”
De Villiers said that the partnership with the Dutch government affirms its position to become an internationally recognised research-intensive university.
For information about the HortiDemoCentre visit www.linkedin.com/company/hortipreneurial-centre-of-excellence-stellenbosch-sa/
