New South African farmer exports grapes to EU

Less than a year after becoming a table grape producer, new South African farmer Ntombi Msimang was accredited to export to the EU. In January 2007 she shipped off her first crates to the UK.

An EU accreditation certificate is worth its weight in gold for any fruit farmer. It not only gives one access to a large, lucrative market, but serves as a stamp of approval for one's products that can be used as a bargaining chip to secure better deals at home. Getting one is no mean feat. Inspectors are sent regularly to ensure diverse areas of production such as water quality, fertilizer use and spraying cycles meet stringent requirements.

"I contacted Fruit & Veg City in Pretoria and told them I could sell them export quality grapes. When I took in a sample they asked me to deliver the next day," she says. "Having EU accreditation also helped me negotiate a good price."

She expects to turn over 300 000 Rands from her first harvest, doubling this next year by improving farm management and investing in infrastructure improvements such as better shade netting. Within three or four years she hopes to break even - not easy, as any farmer will testify.

Msimang is quick to point out that she received dedicated support from neighbouring commercial farmers and technical support from the agriculture department. Soon after she moved onto her 28 hectare farm in 2005, a neighbour invited her to technical workshops. These rotate from farm to farm in the district to give everyone first-hand exposure to innovations implemented by their neighbours.

Pruning can make or break a grape farmer's harvest. On Msimang's first pruning day, neighbours pitched up to help. "They walked the fields making sure everything went smoothly, that the pruning solution was mixed properly and pruning was done correctly. The farmers here really embraced me," she said.

She bought the farm in 2004 while living and working in Pretoria for a micro finance NGO. She hired a farm manager, visiting when she could. Within a year she was facing bankruptcy. "I was paying an exorbitant interest rate and a manager's salary." First she negotiated better loan terms, eventually securing a sponsored rate through a government finance vehicle.Then she moved onto the farm to take charge herself.

Hands-on commitment is a crucial ingredient in any successful farming venture, says agriculture department extension officer James Wallace. "You must make walk your fields every day and see what's going on. She did that," he explains. "She had no farming experience and was exporting after her first year - that's a serious achievement."