From field to table, Safresco offers freshness and quality straight from the farm. Juan Greyvenstein, Managing Director, tells us more about the company’s a-peeling global offerings of premium, fresh fruit.
UNPEELING THE FLAVOURS OF SUCCESS
As a leading producer of citrus fruit, grapes, and avocados in the Southern Hemisphere, Safresco’s speciality is fresh fruit that’s more than just tantalisingly delicious but also good for consumers’ health.
Supplying fruit with the highest quality and safety standards, the company proudly meets its customers’ specifications whilst satisfying worldwide demand for its premium produce.
“We grow, pack, source, and commercialise fruit, with citrus being the primary product,” introduces Juan Greyvenstein, Managing Director.
“Avocados and grapes are increasing in volume whilst vegetables remain a small component in the local market.”
With a presence in multiple countries across the Southern Hemisphere, Safresco has approximately 1,300 hectares (ha) of planted citrus and two packing facilities in South Africa (SA), 600ha of citrus, 500ha of grapes, and 500ha of avocados in Peru, and a sourcing team in Argentina.
“The Southern Hemisphere operations sell more than 180,000 tonnes per annum (tpa), mainly to the Northern Hemisphere countries, with Europe and the US being the largest markets,” he adds.
Additionally, Safresco forms part of Cirtri&Co – a European-based group which sells about one million tpa of fruit with operations in Spain, France, Morocco, Brazil, SA, Peru, and the UK.
Greyvenstein did not start his career in the fruit industry; instead, he began in manufacturing, which he laments did not pose the same dynamics as his current position, which offers an ever-changing landscape and an “every day is different” environment.
Currently, Greyvenstein views the sector as equal parts exciting and challenging.
“After a few tough years for South African growers, the industry finds itself at a profitable point in the citrus cycle for most varieties,” he details.
“Cirtus, like most agricultural sectors, has so many different influences and unknown factors that could impact strategic and operational decision-making. This makes it a very exciting industry to be involved in.”
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS
Safresco has worked diligently over its history to differentiate itself from the competition through its uniquely fresh and succulent fruit offerings.
The company’s multiple origins allow it to service key customer programmes from various sources and provide more reliability in case of certain challenges.
“We are vertically integrated, handling R&D, growing, packing, sourcing, exporting, and managing customer relationships. We understand the challenges and opportunities of each facet alongside the importance of having a secure supply through our own production,” outlines Greyvenstein.
Safresco’s vertical integration also means it can oversee quality at all stages of production. The company prides itself on being attentive to every detail, from cultivation to delivery to the end consumer, complying throughout with the strictest quality requirements.
“Controlling quality is extremely important for our customers, and having our own orchards and packaging produce in our facilities ensures we control the quality of the product throughout the process,” he asserts.
The company has also worked to cement its position as one of the largest fruit producers in its region through consistent support from shareholders, with profits reinvested into the business for expansion and improvement.
Equally, it has received support from suppliers, particularly growing partners who entrust Safresco to pack and commercialise their fruit.
Through the group’s R&D centres and widely experienced technical teams, its expert technicians continuously research new varieties of fruit and suitable agricultural practices to obtain the best quality, the latest technology for packaging, and the most fitting marketing methods.
Specifically, the company’s packing plants are equipped with cutting-edge machinery and located in close proximity to the farms where the produce is grown, optimising the fruit’s conservation and transport conditions.
REAPING THE FRUITS OF LABOUR
As Safresco continues to expand its fresh and fruity footprint, it is highlighting the increased demand from its customers and growing its volume further.
The company is achieving this goal by renting more orchards, partnering with strategic growers, and investing in netting to ensure an increase in volume with an improvement in quality.
“We have also finalised a transaction whereby we acquire a stake in the first commercial citrus operation in Botswana, which currently entails 1,000 planted ha of citrus and a state-of-the-art packing facility. Phase 2 of the project will commence in the next 12 to 24 months, increasing the area to approximately 2,200ha,” insights Greyvenstein.
This investment in Botswana strategically complements Safresco’s current supply from SA, which focuses on specific varieties, timing of products, and access to certain markets, allowing the company to guarantee even more security to reach customers’ volume demands.
Additionally, Botswana has favourable growing conditions for agriculture, with lower pest and disease pressure and exceptional soil conditions. This aligns with the company’s decision to place its farms in unique spots with climatology, autochthonous flora and fauna protection, and sustainable farming techniques, allowing fruit to have outstanding flavour and qualities.
Looking ahead, Safresco is aiming to advance even further across different countries and regions whilst meeting the increasing demands of its customer base.
“Currently, we have significantly more demand than supply, so in the short and medium term, we are trying to bridge the gap between them,” details Greyvenstein.
“For diversification, we are pushing to increase our supply in Western Cape and northern areas of SA alongside sourcing grapes and avocados in the latter to complement our supply in Peru.”
By investing in new orchards and farms located in ideal regions for each crop, Safresco is able to offer a wide range of varieties with exquisite flavour and exceptional quality.
BETTER ENVIRONMENT, BETTER FRUIT
Crucial to Safresco’s company values is its respect towards the environment in which it works and nurtures its fruit.
The company uses agricultural practices that respect the planet and promote societal well-being in addition to building sustainability into each supply chain link to ensure its consumers enjoy premium quality and freshness.
“We work to apply chemicals and fertilisers as efficiently as possible. Each orchard receives different fertilisers based on nutrient analysis to ensure we don’t overapply, and most of it is applied in small, weekly doses as fertigation, which limits the risk of leaching fertilisers into the groundwater,” informs Greyvenstein.
Safresco also adds compost and natural products to its soils to increase the carbon content and improve root health, which allows the company to boost fertiliser uptake and further reduce the application of synthetic fertilisers.
Equally, its pest control is conducted based on scouting results and follows an approach that uses chemicals and techniques that are the least disruptive to beneficial insects. This is in parallel with augmenting natural beneficial insect populations as a form of biocontrol and minimising the cutting of weeds between the rows, allowing them to flower and provide alternative habitats and food sources.
“We also constantly monitor our soil moisture and weather conditions to prevent over-irrigation. Through this integrated approach, we are able to limit our environmental footprint,” expands Greyvenstein.
Alongside Safresco’s dedication towards sustainable agricultural practices, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a vital part of the company. It is actively involved in supporting the community in Sundays River Valley through several initiatives, including a home-based caregiver project, the Kirkwood Bulk Water project, and an employee trust.
For the former, the company works in collaboration with the Sisters of Mercy to sponsor three trained home-based caregivers who provide primary healthcare to individuals too ill or elderly to visit local clinics.
“This initiative ensures the most vulnerable members of the community receive consistent, dignified care in the comfort of their homes,” emphasises Greyvenstein.
Furthermore, the Kirkwood Bulk Water project tackles the major challenge of providing accessible, reliable water in the region due to irregular municipal supply. To help address this issue, Safresco has funded the installation of over 400 fully equipped water tanks at the homes of permanent and seasonal employees, as well as strategic points within the broader community.
“The project ensures families have a dependable source of water even during infrastructure failures,” he explains.
In 2018, the company established an employee trust to introduce ownership and the prospect of long-term wealth to previously disadvantaged groups. The trust has a minority stake in some key assets owned by Safresco.
“These projects reflect our long-term commitment to improving the quality of life and supporting sustainable development in the areas where we operate,” proudly concludes Greyvenstein.
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