Delight as Tru-Cape growers achieve record-breaking Pink Lady packout rates

Ceres Fruit Growers managed to achieve nearly 75% Pink Lady packouts this season, the highest in Tru-Cape's history. Octavia Avesca Spandiel established that this is largely due to sound orchard practices.

- By Octavia Avesca Spandiel

At Ceres Fruit Growers, packouts reached nearly 75%, the highest on record, while Two-a-Day recorded an 8% increase compared to last year.

Speaking to Farmer's Weekly, Tru-Cape procurement manager, Calla du Toit, said this success followed years of targeted investment, shared learning, and smart orchard practices designed to improve colour, fruit quality, and yield consistency.

"We made it our goal to get closer to 80% Pink Lady per hectare, and we've come a long way. These results show that the strategy is working," Du Toit said.

ORCHARD INNOVATION
Tru-Cape's record-breaking results are rooted in innovation that begins in the orchard. Growers like Kootjie Viljoen, from Oewerzicht farm near Greyton, have adopted a holistic set of techniques to improve light penetration and colour, which are especially vital in warmer growing regions.