Project name: PINEHAVEN AGRICUTLURE TRADING
Period: 2018 – 2020
Country: SOUTH AFRICA
Objective: Converting PINEHAVEN AGRICULTURE TRADING (a family enterprise practicing subsistence agriculture) to smart scale farming enterprise with irrigation and packhouse facilities.
Description: Pinehaven Agricultural Trading is a vegetable project that belongs to a family of five beneficiaries (three youths and two females). The land in production comprises 5.5 hectares in Lynedoch situated approximately 7km outside Stellenbosch. The vegetable crops planted include spinach, beetroot, green pepper, carrots, etc. and are distributed to vegetable markets after every successful harvest.
It started as a mere experiment / pilot study for implementation of the smart holder program by TIP TRANS AGRILIVING, but within 6-8 months – it got interest of SAB / ABInBEV and were awarded a PIC GRANT and extended PRODUCTION LOAN to install the Irrigation Infrastructure for the whole 5 Ha to avoid climate change effects and Packhouse (Global G.A.P level) to add value to the produce of the farm.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The farm is now ready to grow blueberries & high value horticulture crops using hi-tech and sustainable agricultural practices. From Small to SMART Scale BEE – 5 HA BERRIES. (0.5 Mn Rand profit per ha per year; 150 new jobs)
The project has attracted interest from both Stellenbosch municipality and Ministry of Agriculture who are now ready to work on this model. Another farmer in the same area with 15 Ha is being engaged. Under the new model the target is to reach 200 ha under cultivation with various members in the area – to aggregate and work as a single farm unit.
VIEW GLIMPSES OF PROJECT TIMELINE
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