'Roux Pecans' grows organic pecan nuts. The company is located at the banks of the Orange River in South Africa. Through exclusive distributor Rhumveld Winter & Konijn, Roux Pecans supplies its organic pecan nuts to customers all over Europe. Bob Roux, son of founder Chris, works full time with Roux Pecans. From February 11 to 14, he was at BioFach to tell those interested all about the extraordinary company and the organic pecan nuts.
Bob with the pictures of Roux Pecans at the BIOFACH stand of Rhumveld Winter & Konijn.
Bob's grandfather was originally a sheep farmer, after which he started breeding racing horses. At the end of the 1950s, he had about 200 hectares of land next to the river, and decided to find out what could be grown there. "The Orange River is a lifeline for a very large area in South Africa. Around the river, a great deal of table grapes are being grown, for instance. A friend of the family then indicated that this would be an ideal spot for planting pecan nuts. He even called it the best place. This turned out to be true: the sandy soil runs deep and the climate is perfect for the pecan nut. Furthermore, the trees benefit from the extremely high temperatures in the summer, and the nightly frost in winter is essential for the well-being of the trees."
On this photo, the difference can be observed between the new and old trees in the Roux Pecans orchard.
On this photo, the difference can be observed between the new and old trees in the Roux Pecans orchard.
He notes that his grandfather was often declared a fool by neighbours. "In 1973, he planted pecan nuts on 4 hectares, to the amazement of the neighbours. They told him this totally isn't the area for pecan nuts. They seemed to be right for a while, seeing how it takes 7 to 10 years for the trees to start producing. Then production gradually got going, and my father further expanded the cultivation." Bob says that the company was also very concerned with other growers in the region: "When Apartheid ended, Roux Pecans was among those ensuring the growers retained their individual rights."
Chris Roux (centre), with his sons Pierre and Bob.
Organic
In 1996, the decision was taken to switch to the organic cultivation method. "On the one hand this was for economic reasons, we couldn't afford the chemical pesticides, but we were also convinced of this method. Because if letting nature run its course wouldn't even work in our region, where would it work? Water is the most important thing for the cultivation, and we have more than enough in this location." Bob notes that the switch was a good move: "The bio quality mark made our pecan nuts extra special for traders. It turned out to be a good distinguishing factor, and it still is. Because of this quality mark, we still stand out amongst the now numerous conventionally operating pecan companies in this region."The first shipment to Europe consisted of 400 kilogrammes for the Swiss market. Roux Pecans has been working with Rhumveld Winter & Konijn from Capelle aan den IJssel since 2000 for the distribution in Europe. From the harbour in Durban, the containers with pecan nuts are transported by ship to Rotterdam in 25 days' time. Roux Pecans has concrete plans for expansion: "Next year we want to plant an additional 35 hectares of trees. With the expansion, we ran into a few issues. For our electricity, we needed a new pump facility. This fits in well with our policy: when we grow, we invest this money in our company."
The raw organic pecan nuts, as they are transported to Europe and other regions.
Own small community
Roux Pecans has five permanent employees. These employees live on company grounds with their families. "We have our own small community. We want everyone to benefit from the company's success. The Fairtrade certificate is not interesting to us, because we're already far ahead in several areas." The visual inspection of the cracked and shelled product is a very precise job. "Because women are more oriented to detail, they are very suitable for this job. That's why 18 women work at our company between June and February, to shell nuts. These women take care of their families this way. We pay their wages every two weeks, and this money goes straight to the families." Bob says that this group of women returns every year. "Their experience and attention to detail is important, and it's a skill we're trying to retain. The input of these women is essential for a good end product."
For more information:
Paul van Schijndel
Rhumveld Winter & Konijn
Business development manager organic
Rivium 1e straat 111
2909 LE Capelle aan den IJssel
+31(0)10 2403337
p.vanschijndel@rhumveld.com
www.rhumveld.com
Bob Roux
Roux Pecans
Ramah Farm
P.O. Box 3362
Diamond 8305
Kimberley, South Africa
+27 726030718
Bob@rouxpecans.com
www.rouxpecans.com