Key Resources
- Hortgro Website: Packhouse Action Group and Pome/Stone Protocols
- Contact: Elise-Marie Steenkamp
DOWNLOADS (22 October 2025 – 16 February 2026 both pages)
- CA Manual revised (2 798 downloads)
- Johan Strydom – Container Checklist (1 494 Downloads)
- PAG Water Project Benchmark Result – Phase 5 (1 399 Downloads)
- ‘Quo Vadis’ – Long-Term CA storage regimes of Cripps’ Pink apples and fruit quality (1 133 Downloads)
- Fresh Noted 194 – PAG Feedback (March 3) (1 025 Downloads)
- PAG Water Project phase 4 (1 109 Downloads)
- Jaco Visagie – Trends in Container Technology and Supply (1 103 Downloads)
Update on Logistics Chain Efficiencies
Contact: Jacques du Preez
Fruit volumes of all fruit kinds increased by 18% to date. Corresponding volumes at Cape Town port had increased by 7%. A large volume of fruit had been diverted, at considerable cost (R38 000/container), to PE. Cape Town port operations were affected by record high winds and poor productivity.
Rubber Tyre Gantries (RTG’s) were not performing optimally in terms of gross container moves per hour (GCH). Ten RTG’s are expected shortly.
Packhouse ESG and Sustainability Workgroup
Contact: Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay
- ESG Packhouse WG
- The Footprint Webinar On Sustainable Water Resource Management has been moved from February to April.
- EU PPWR (Paper and Packaging Waste Regulations)
Packhouse Water & Energy Management Projects
Contact: Hugo Kriel
The reports can be viewed at the following links:
Colour Charts
Contact: Dr Mariana Jooste
New colour charts are being developed for reprinting.
The Golden Delicious sunburn chart is no longer relevant, given the stricter standards that packhouses are applying.
Packhouses are requested to provide the following old DFB pear colour charts that could be used for developing new colour charts for reprinting:
- P.23 (Rosemarie pears Blush)
- P.16 (Forelle pears Blush)
- P.15 (Bon Chretien pears Blush)
- P.9 (Packham’s Triumph pears Retiform Russet)
- P.8 (Packham’s Triumph pears Solid Russeting)
Market Access Feedback
Contact: Jacques du Preez / Lindi Benic
- Mexico: Feedback received from Mexico confirming approval of the presence of a Mexican inspector from 13 April 2026 to 2 June 2026
- Taiwan: Apple export market remains suspended.
- Philippines: BPI requested rescheduled apple and pear onsite visit, response pending.
- Brazil: Raised pest concerns for South African apple exports; response pending.
- Reunion and Mayotte: Require Tephritidae-free South African fruit with post-harvest treatment.
PAG Disciplines and Coordinators
Please get in touch with the relevant person below if you have any queries regarding the PAG.
Chairman – Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za)
Engineering – Henk Ryke (henk@tad.co.za), Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za)
Packaging – Bryce MacIntyre (bryce.macintyre@gmail.com)
Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) – Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay (nitasha@hortgro.co.za)
Environmental Footprint – Eddie Vienings (eddie@bluenorth.co.za) / Dianca Yssel (dianca@bluenorth.co.za) / Hugo Kriel (hugo@bluenorth.co.za)
Packhouse Large – Francois Malan (francois.malan@cfg.co.za) / Wardo Conradie (wardoc@dutoit.com) / Chris Petzer (crisp@tad.co.za) / Fanie Grundlingh (fanieg@lanko.co.za)
Packhouse Small – Hendrik Claassen (hendrik@bellafrutta.co.za), Thinus Loock (thinus@jjlooch.co.za)
Post-Harvest Quality – Dr Mariana Jooste (mariana@hortgro.co.za) / Dr Elke Crouch (elke@sun.ac.za) / Henk Griessel (henkg@tru-cape.co.za) / Jaco Moelich (jaco.moelich@fruitways.co.za) / Elri van der Merwe (elrivdm@tru-cape.co.za)
Logistics – Johan Strydom (pslog@mweb.co.za)
Communication Strategy – Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za) / Elise-Marie Steenkamp (elise-marie@hortgro.co.za)
PPECB – Bernardus Henning (bernardush@ppecb.com)
FPEF – Werner van Rooyen (werner@fpef.co.za)
NDA – Director: Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Billy Makhafola, (BillyM@nda.gov.za)
NDA – Regional Manager: NPPPIS WC Directorate: Inspection Services, Gcobani Tsako (gcobani@nda.gov.za)
Hortgro – Jacques du Preez (jacques@hortgro.co.za), Lindi Benic (lindi@hortgro.co.za)
Research – Prof Wiehann Steyn (wiehann@hortgro.co.za)
SIZA – Matthew Guest (matthewg@siza.co.za )