On the banks of the Orange River in South Africa, Roux Pecans grows organic pecans. To respond to Brexit and its consequences for exports to Europe, Roux Pecans has set up a company in Rotterdam.
Family business
Roux Pecans is a real family business. The company was founded by Chris Roux. His sons Bob and Pierre work for Roux Pecans. "We like to sell our pecans to anyone who would like to purchase a quality product. We are convinced of the quality, partially because we supply 100% raw nuts. In many countries the nuts are heated at 180 degrees in an oven. This is unnecessary, in our opinion. We heat them to a maximum of 45 degrees, which preserves the nutrients," says Pierre Roux.
'Single origin'
Organic macadamia nuts are also available at Roux. "We buy these macadamia nuts from one grower. That is a conscious choice. We stand for 'single origin' and traceability is very important." The nuts are available in pallets, containers and per box. They are transported from the warehouse in Bodegraven, where the Roux Pecans stock is stored.
History
Bob and Pierre's grandfather was a sheep farmer and then started breeding racing horses. In the late 1950s, he had access to about 200 hectares of land next to the Orange River and therefore decided to discover what they could grow there. This river is the lifeline for a very large area in South Africa. For example, many grapes are grown here. A family friend said it would be the ideal place to grow pecans. "This turned out to be true: it is a deep sandy soil and the climate is perfect for the pecan nut. Furthermore, the trees benefit from the extremely high temperatures in the summer and the night frost in the winter is essential for the well-being of the trees," Bob said in an earlier Biojournaal article.
In 1996 the decision was made to switch to organic and let nature do its work. "Because if it would not pay off in our region to let nature do its work, where would it? Water is the most important for cultivation and we have more than enough of it at this location," says Bob. This switch turned out to be a good move, Pierre emphasizes. "The organic certification makes the nuts extra interesting for the traders."
For more information:
Pierre Roux
Roux Pecans 
sales@rouxpecans.com
www.rouxpecans.com