About three of Tru-Cape's apple producers experienced hail damage late on Tuesday afternoon (March 5, 2024) says Calla du Toit, procurement manager at Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing. "While widespread hail occurred over a large area in the Langkloof, we are fortunate that it didn't have a significant impact on Tru-Cape's apple crop."
"With most of the crop already harvested, only about 2% of our apples from the Langkloof region have been impacted. Fortunately, most of the hail occurred in parts where producers had already harvested, and it won't have a serious impact on their income."
Most damage was incurred on late varieties such as Fuji, Pink Lady, some red varieties, and Granny Smith. Francois Zondagh, of the Matt Zondagh Estate near Avontuur, says the Langkloof region is prone to hail. Many of the orchards in the area are covered with drape nets to protect crops from hail and sunburn.
"Closer to George, the hailstones were the size of chicken eggs, and the damage is much worse around Herold. The hailstones were smaller on our side, and most occurred on a farm where our harvest is already done," states Zondagh. He says the overall crop is slightly lower compared to last year, but he is optimistic about the Golden Delicious volumes.
For more information:
Lucille Botha
Tru-Cape
Email: info@tru-cape.co.za
www.tru-cape.com