A number of Technical Tours to various Regional projects will take place during the congress. Please read through the different options and decided which technical tour you would like to attend. There is an option to choose on your registration form.

TECHNICAL TOURS – 2^NDALL AFRICA HORTICULTURE CONGRESS 2012

1. Technology incubation – models for agri-business development

Incubation, or small enterprise development acceleration, is proven to increase the potential for long-term SMME sustainability and success. This is particularly critical in South Africa where approximately 80% of SMMEs fail within their first year. Technology incubation provides access to financial and strategic resources, technological mentoring, coaching and technical expertise as well as management and business support, while addressing the technology needs of enterprises in that specific industry...

The Lowveld is privileged to have three agri-incubators, each operating on a different model yet still providing their beneficiaries with the necessary support for capacity-building and business and enterprise development. We will  visit a cut flower production incubator a sugar cane production incubator and an agri-skills incubator.

2. Commercial subtropical fruit and nut cultivation

South Africa is self-sufficient in virtually all major agricultural products and a net exporter of subtropical fruit and nuts. Farming remains vitally important to the economy and development of the southern African region.  South Africa has a dual agricultural economy, with both well-developed commercial farming and subsistence-based production. The country is made up of many productive areas, with Mpumalanga being one the most important agricultural regions in South Africa. The Lowveld Region in Mpumalanga is most well-known for its of subtropical fruit and nut production, particularly citrus, avocado and macadamia nuts. The tour will include visits to a commercial producer as well as a packing facility and a value adding / processing facility.

3. School and Community Vegetable Gardens

Food security is one of the major challenges affecting our society on a global scale. Many people in South Africa simply do not have access to adequate nutrition’ which impacts negatively on individuals as well as  families and society as a whole. One way of addressing this  problem is the development of school and community vegetable gardens, which in has benefits for communities in terms ofmeeting their own nutritional needs as well as giving an opportunity to sell excess to others. School children and community members  also learn skills from involvement in the projects and use the information to help alleviate problems caused by the lack of food security. Several local school and community vegetable garden projects will be visited.

4. Cut flower and foliage cultivation

South Africa’s cut flower industry, although only a tenth the size of that in Kenya, is extremely diverse in terms of the products cultivated. The Lowveld Region is ideal for cut flower production due to its climatic advantages - in particular the winter season which is far warmer than the Highveld. Although the major constraint faced by growers in the Lowveld is the high cost of transport to the market situated in Johannesburg, the hub of South Africa’s economy, cut flower and foliage growers in the Lowveld are able to produce export-quality produce which is marketed both locally and internationally. We will visit various local cut flower and foliage farms.

OPTIONAL POST CONGRESS TOUR

• Tour of Mediterranean Climate Horticultural Region of South Africa (Western Cape)
• A Minimum of 10 delegates is required to run the tour
• The costs will be for the delegate’s own account
• Please express your interest in this tour on your registration form

Due to the geographical position of Africa, only the most northern and southern extremities of the continent are suitable for the cultivation of deciduous fruits.  The Western Cape province of South Africa, with its Mediterranean-type climate, is home to most of the 75,000 ha of the table grape, apple, pear, peach, Japanese plum and apricot orchards in South Africa.  The industry employs over 100,000 people on mostly commercial export-orientated farms.  The net combined value of production of these fruits in 2009, excluding table grapes, was about R5.3 billion. 

A technical tour to the fruit growing regions of the Western Cape will be planned if a sufficient number of delegates to AAHC 2012 indicate an interest.  We foresee that the tour will include visits to commercial deciduous fruit farms and packhouses in the major deciduous fruit production areas.  Travelling to these areas will take us over the rugged Western Cape mountains and through some of the most stunning scenery in South Africa, and indeed the world.  The tour may also include a visit to a commercial fynbos (indigenous Western Cape flora grown as cut flowers) farm as well as an olive farm.  Along our way, we will pass through the historic town of Stellenbosch, home to the well-known University of Stellenbosch where the largest and oldest Department of Horticultural Science in South Africa is located.  Bearing in mind that Stellenbosch is at the centre of the South African wine industry, the tour will not be complete without a visit to a winery. Weather permitting, we may ascend Table Mountain by cable car, visit the renowned Kirstenbosch botanical gardens and stop at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town for some shopping, prior to leaving for home.