Optimal irrigation for perfect blueberries

Since blueberry cultivation requires a lot of water, making every drop count is key to the sector’s survival in a water-stressed country like South Africa. Farmer Wikus Strauss spoke to Lindi Botha about his methods.

- Lindi Botha

Blueberries are one of the fastest-growing agricultural commodities in South Africa, with farmers capitalising on high market demand and favourable prices. However, since the expansion of water and soil resources remain stagnant, the key to sustaining the growth of the blueberry sector is to farm smarter, using less water and other resources, for a bigger crop.

With this in mind, Wikus Strauss, co-owner of Seven Growers in Franschhoek, Western Cape, set about establishing the farm’s blueberry production. The farm is partly planted to stone fruit, and the land where strawberries once grew was turned over to blueberries in 2017.

Strauss aims to increase the area planted to blueberries every year, and is currently at 21ha. He notes that although the market has been volatile, it is beginning to stabilise.

“The past year wasn’t a good one for blueberry prices and sales. There is a lot of volume on the global market, but the quality isn’t always good,” he says. “Every industry has its ups and downs; I believe there is room for more growth in the [blueberry] industry, and South Africa has a good reputation globally as a quality producer. Focusing on quality and taste will be key to growing and maintaining market share.”

The Seven Growers farm is planted to five Berryworld cultivars, and these are being trialled to find the ’holy grail’ of blueberries: those that are big, sweet, of high quality, and can withstand the long shipping period to export markets.

ON A FARM-BY-FARM BASIS