For 95 years now, Môreson Trust has been nestled at the foot of the Hottentots-Holland Mountain in the Vyeboom Valley, Western Cape, South Africa. The family business, which grows apples and pears on some 150 hectares, started as a tree nursery about 100 years ago. It moved to its current location in 1929. The Trust's apple assortment includes several varieties. Golden Delicious is the largest, with Gala a close second, but Granny Smith, Cripps Red, Fuji, and Pink Lady are also among the offerings. With pear production, the fruit farm focuses primarily on Packhams Triumph.
Môreson is Afrikaans for morning sun. The sun hits the mountain in the morning before moving down into the valley. Five years ago, the De Wet fruit-growing family expanded their crop by starting to plant on a 50-hectare farm near Greyton. This farm is called Bergrede. The Zonderend River connects the two farms, but it takes an hour to drive between them. "We decided to grow elsewhere because it's hard to find suitable and affordable land in the region. A new location also offers the advantage of virgin soil and risk diversification. If a big hailstorm hits one site, it is reassuring to be able to count on a second one. However, we package all the fruit at our main location" begins Jannie de Wet.
Family values
Jannie, CEO of Môreson, who now runs the company along with a board of Trustees, represents the family's fourth generation. Exports are mainly done via agents, but in the last two years, the Môreson Trust has started doing some of that independently with its Mortru brand. "We can now tell our family's story. Family values are very important to us, and my wife, brother, and nephew are also active in the company. Some of our workers have been with us for three generations, too."
The grower wants to use this brand to add extra value to the chain. "This is harder to achieve if your fruit arrives at a customer in a large brand that is packed at multiple locations, you lose your uniqueness. Price and quality are obviously important, but I think consistency is even more important. If you have consistent quality, clients know what they get and can sell your fruit without seeing it themselves." says Jannie.
Preferred supplier
"I believe that's already bearing fruit. I recently visited the Pretoria Fresh Market, where the quality controller said she knew what to expect even before opening our boxes. In a short time, our brand has already been associated with consistent quality. People are also starting to recognize our Mortru logo. During our visit to Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong last year several people asked if I could supply directly to them because they value our consistent quality so much. Even though we're not the biggest player, we'd like to be a preferred supplier."
That your brand needs to be adding value is evident to Jannie. "Otherwise, we could just as easily sell all our fruit through export agents," he says. Regarding exports, the fruit grower focuses on markets elsewhere in Africa, as well as the Middle and Far East, with Malaysia being Mortru apple's primary self-export market. Marketing to Europe and the United States is not a focus for Môreson Trust. "With our limited volumes, we currently don't focus on programs with European supermarkets and can be more adaptable to supply where the demand is. We export 60-70%, 20% goes to the local market, and 10% to the juice industry."
Good, sustainable new cropWhen choosing a new variety, De Wet considers how easy it is to cultivate, its yields, and market demand. "For now, Gala is by far the largest variety we plant. I'm reluctant to invest in a new variety that might grow well in another country. South Africa has a unique climate, and I will only plant a new variety once it has proven itself here, where it can quickly reach 38-40°C," Jannie continues. He anticipates a good harvest in the upcoming season. "As things stand, we should get good volumes, and the crop looks to be of a good quality too. In the previous year, we had some problems with scabs, after the floods we had. But, that's not an issue now."
According to Jannie, apple preferences differ by country. "You can sell Gala almost everywhere. We do well with Granny Smith in the Far East. They prefer a dark green Granny, which grows to perfection in our area. Customers are also willing to pay good prices for the high-quality Grannies. Fuji is very popular in Taiwan when that market doesn't reject South African apples for phytosanitary reasons," he explains. "That has regularly happened in the past years."
Jannie adds that Môreson Trust does not necessarily compete with its export agents by doing its own exports. "Exporter agents sell most of our fruit, for they have a large client base and can move all the different sizes and classes. As a small player, it's impossible to be aware of all the markets," he knows. "Exporters have that market knowledge, we are thus able to sell some of the peak sizes easier to our clients."
Young growers are more open
De Wet's new potential customers must undergo a screening process that includes some South African references and payment terms are strict. "South Africa exports are so small in comparison to the rest of the other apple producing countries that I do not believe that we are competition to each other. Rather our true competition is our fellow Southern Hemisphere producers like Chile and New Zeeland. South African exporters used to keep information to themselves in the past, but the newer generation is far more open and willing to share. South African growers desperately need each other to break into new markets," he concludes.
For more information:
Jannie de Wet
Môreson Trust
Tel: +27 (0) 763 161 717
[email protected]
www.moresontrust.co.za