More intensive banana production

50YEARS AGO With the emphasis on improved production, these Mpumalanga banana growers had to adapt and innovate.

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The cry in modern activities is for increased production and this is where the stress has been laid in the farming operations on Vergenoeg Landgoed at Kierpersol, Eastern Transvaal.

Run by G Pieterse and DJ van Schalkwyk, these farms are being developed with the intention of producing larger quantities of good-quality bananas. Part of this programme of improvement lies in the replacement of old plantations and the preparation of new plantations.

At present, 83 morgen [about 71ha] of ground is planted to bananas, of which 55 morgen [47ha] is in full production and the rest under newly planted material. Future plans include planting a further 20 morgen [17ha] of bananas.

“New planting stock is obtained from selected matts in the existing plantations,” says Pieterse. “These selected matts are allowed to develop a bearing stem with two suckers. When the extra sucker is about 12 months old, it is cut and transplanted the same day into the prepared lands.