Key Resources
- Hortgro Website: Packhouse Action Group and Pome/Stone Protocols
- Contact: Elise-Marie Steenkamp
PAG Downloads (1 Mar – 25 July)
- ‘Quo Vadis’ – Long-Term CA storage regimes of Cripps’ Pink apples and fruit quality (2181 downloads)
- PAG Water Project phase 4 (2,069 downloads)
- Jaco Visagie – Trends in Container Technology and Supply (2,049 downloads)
- Johan Strydom – Container Checklist (1,976 downloads)
- CA Manual revised (1,867 downloads)
- PAG Water Project Benchmark Result – Phase 5 (1,773 downloads)
- Fresh Notes 194 – PAG Feedback (March 3) (1,503 downloads)
A new PAG website is in testing and expected to launch by mid-August.
Logistics Chain Efficiencies
Contact: Jacques du Preez
- Export fruit volumes in SA ports up 11% YTD; Cape Town port up 10% (partly due to USA tariff anticipation).
- Improved staff morale, incentives, equipment maintenance, and availability contributed.
- Gross container moves per hour (GCH) increased from 12–14 to 17–18.
- First batch of new Rubber Tyre Gantries (RTGs) to be commissioned by end August; more batches due later this year.
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
Contact: Nitasha Baijnath-Pillay
- Freshfel Europe interview available: Webinar
- Hortgro Sustainability Advisory Committee supports inclusion of Pome and Stone in ESG & Sustainability WG.
- ESG retailer requirements list being compiled to streamline reporting.
- SIZA presented on Environmental Standard and compliance; most common non-compliance is record-keeping.
- 102 of 104 Pome and Stone packhouses received Platinum status in Q4 2024; 2 received Gold.
- SIZATrack360 Digital Record Keeping Programme overview; workshops available.
- Integration of CCC and carbon footprinting into SIZA Environmental Standard to be presented.
- EU PPWR update and research ideas discussed; request for food-grade packaging suppliers for recyclable packaging trials.
- Request for packhouse activities/interventions on waste, water, electricity, etc., to identify gaps and projects.
- Next webinar: Carbon footprinting and becoming a Carbon Hero (Blue North to present SHERPA tool and CCC Project).
Packhouse Water & Energy Management Projects
Contact: Hugo Kriel / Eddie Vienings
- Blue North energy project phase 4 report: Download
- Eskom electricity tariffs increased in April; Ruraflex tariff up 12.7%, but actual cost increase 24–25% due to fixed and variable charges.
- New legacy and generator capacity charges to be implemented over 3 years.
- Time-of-use periods changed; rescheduling electricity consumption recommended.
- Solar PV implementation now more feasible; carbon credits possible.
- Carbon credit webinar to be arranged.
Nanobubble Technology for Cleaning & Food Safety
- Teams meeting held for PAG members on nanobubble technology.
- Nanobubbles (oxygen/ozone) reduce fungal and bacterial load on product surfaces and process water.
- Useful as chemical options decrease; not yet used on pome fruit in SA, but tested on citrus, table grapes (pre-harvest), cherries (post-harvest), and apple packhouse in Washington State.
- Anti-fouling properties: clean irrigation lines, control algae in reservoirs.
Further information:
- Nanobubble postharvest food processing and food safety
- Nanobubble case study in apple flume water
- Oxygen nanobubbles for water purification and soil cultivation
Market Access Feedback
Contact: Jacques du Preez / Lindi Benic
- Mexico: Volumes down; same inspector returned.
- Taiwan: Difficulty obtaining producer info for codling moth interception.
- Thailand: Volumes increasing; market access visit planned for Sep/Oct; pear access next goal.
- Philippines: Included in market access visit; apples & pears next for access.
PAG Disciplines and Coordinators
- 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)
- 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@jjloock.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: Richard Hurndall (hurndallr@gmail.com), 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 – Food Safety & Quality: Billy Makhafola (BillyM@nda.gov.za)
- NDA – Inspection Services: Gcobani Tsako (GcobaniT@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)