South Africa’s deciduous fruit industry thrives on the dynamic partnership between Culdevco and Cultipowered, blending cutting-edge research with meaningful upliftment for growers across the board.

In this episode, Culdevco’s general manager, Mishkaat Anderson, reveals how they commercialise ARC-bred cultivars like Ruby Sun stone fruit and Cheeky pears, emphasising profitability, climate adaptability, disease resistance, and low-input sustainability for superior export performance. Dr Konanani Liphadzi, Cultipowered chair, highlights how they are reinvesting royalties, via their 51% stake, into equitable access, rural infrastructure, bursaries, and capacity-building to transform the fruit industry inclusively.

In this episode, we speak with Steven Francis, CEO and founder of Franchising Made Easy, about how farmers can move beyond production to become successful agripreneurs. Francis shares practical strategies for adding value to farm produce, diversifying crops, and accessing both local and export markets.

He explains how farmers can see themselves as CEOs of their own farms, adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, and identify opportunities for fast-moving crops to strengthen cash flow. Listeners will gain insight into using market information and pricing tools, building farm management and technical skills, and preparing produce for premium markets through effective branding.

In this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, Francois Fourie, a farmer and irrigation designer, shares his expertise in precision irrigation. He explains how he turned a small demonstration unit near Polokwane into a fully operational farm, using Netafim’s advanced drip irrigation systems and fertiliser dosing technologies. Francois discusses how these irrigation innovations optimise water use, improve crop yields, and provide practical insights for farmers looking to implement precision irrigation on their own farms.