A shorter growth cycle for higher lettuce profits

Lettuce is beholden to an inconsistent market, with demand often dependent on the weather. Sustainable production therefore requires careful management of supply and demand. Equally important, as farmer Jakkie Mellet explained to Lindi Botha, is a shorter, more productive, growth cycle.

- Lindi Botha

Sterkspruit farm, near Lydenburg in Mpumalanga, is situated at the very top of Long Tom Pass, 2 150m above sea level. Its position holds significant benefits for owner Jakkie Mellet: it is isolated from other farms, keeping it relatively safe from the potential spread of pests and diseases, and it is often wreathed in mist, which creates a microclimate ideal for the farm’s potato seed production.

On the other hand, the rocky nature of the land, being on the mountain top, means that only a fraction of the property can be cultivated.

Faced with this dilemma, Mellet sought alternative crops that could complement his potato seed operation. Cherries, berries and kiwi fruit were all considered, but only the last was feasible. Then, three years ago, he was approached by Woolworths to produce lettuce during the hotter summer months, when most of the retailer’s usual suppliers around Gauteng stop production. “Lettuce is a cool-weather crop and it likes mild summer temperatures,” explains Mellet. “Farmers who typically deliver to Woolworths can keep up production in winter, but the summers are too hot, as the lettuce bulks up and starts to seed.

“Climate plays a crucial role in lettuce production, and it just so happens that the climate for potato seed production is also suited to growing lettuce: high altitude and high rainfall.”

Sterkspruit has annual rainfall of 950mm, mostly in summer. Summer temperatures peak around 30°C because of the farm’s position on top of the mountain. Moreover, the cold air travels down, keeping the evenings warm enough for production.