A 'sub-lime' boost for farmers

Local lime farmers get a boost with South African breweries, writes Jyothi Laldas.

- Jyothi Laldas.

South African Breweries (SAB) has turned a sour situation for beer drinkers into a ‘lime-light’ opportunity for local emerging farmers.

Having faced a lack of local supply of limes that was affecting SAB’s Corona beer-drinking experience, the company sought out a novel opportunity to invest in lime farming.

This resulted in a boost to local production and the empowerment of emerging farmers and their communities.

According to SAB, Corona beer is traditionally served with a wedge of lime as part of the drinking ritual. However, as the beer became popular in the country, it encountered a severe shortage of limes.

To solve the problem and boost the South African agriculture sector, SAB formed a community private partnership (CPP) to the tune of R19 million with the Moletele Communal Property Association in Limpopo and Komati Fruit Group to establish and run a farming operation that would ensure reliable local production of limes.

The Moletele community availed one of their farms, Richmond Kopano Farm, which was on lease, to the Komati Fruit Group. The CPP, which was entered into in 2020, saw SAB provide financial support, while Komati Fruit Group brought in farming expertise and skills development, and the Moletele community contributed the land.

According to SAB, all parties are equally and actively involved, and this resulted in the production of fruit under the name Moletele Corona Limes.

Although limes are cultivated in South Africa, other citrus fruits have proved to be more lucrative. Among the over 90 000ha of citrus orchards in the country, less than 10% of the land is specifically allocated for lime cultivation.