FAST FACTS
The Carmingo cultivars extend the apricot picking season from December to mid-March.
The cultivars are ideally suited to the low temperatures of the Koo Valley, as they require a high number of chill units.
The fruit has an attractive red blush and excellent eating quality, rendering them in high demand.
With their relatively small farms, fruit producers Pierre Burger and Sam Sieberhagen realised there was only one way to compete with larger producers: find a niche product. They not only succeeded in doing so, but became pioneers of a new variety of apricot in South Africa that could revolutionise production of the fruit in this country.
The variety in question is the Carmingo, a range developed and owned by International Plant Selections (IPS) in Spain and France. These bicoloured apricots not only have excellent blush and eating quality, but lengthen the traditional November-December apricot picking season up until mid-March, when the market is relatively empty. As a result, income from these varieties can be up to three times more than for Bebeco and Imperial, South Africa’s principal apricot export varieties.
This story is from the February 19, 2021 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 19, 2021 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Protests in Poland turn violent
The farmers’ protest in Poland is fast becoming known as the most violent agricultural protest in Europe, according to national media.
Banana Hall of Fame celebrates banana industry
In celebration of its 125th Bananaversary, Dole Food in the US recently established a National Banana Hall of Fame to honour culinary and cultural institutions that have helped to establish bananas as one of the world’s most popular and most purchased fruit.
Underutilised crops come into their own
Diverse food systems are the focus of collaborative efforts at UKZN, writes Jyothi Laldas.
Why cybersecurity is needed in farming
The agriculture sector could be the most susceptible to cyberattacks.
Minister launches third National Status of Biological Invasions in SA programme
Biological invasions need to be treated as an urgent matter as they pose a risk to water security as well as biodiversity, writes Jyothi Laldas.
Two brothers who left their mark on SA
Born in Germany, Alfred and Otto Beit came to the Transvaal's diamond fields in the late 1800s, helping to found mining companies and build crucial infrastructure, writes Graham Jooste.
Driving impressions: Honda Elevate 1,5
Honda SA is back to its best in terms of packaging, build quality, value-for-money and efficiency with a new entry to the hotly contested compact SUV market. Ian McLaren for CAR tested the vehicle at its launch.
Starting a small-farm vegetable project: Part 2
The process of developing a small vegetable farm is gradual and the full benefits will only be realised later, writes Bill Kerr.
Basic vaccination and health protocols for pigs
Pigs are usually produced in intensive environments such as purpose-built piggeries, sties, or even enclosed sheds.
Saving Nigeria's forest elephants
Nigeria risks losing all its forest elephants. This is what Rosemary Iriowen Egonmwan, professor of environmental physiology of animals at the University of Lagos, and Bola Oboh, professor of genetics at the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics at the University of Lagos, found when they went looking for them.