South Africa: Experico expands FarmSecure Agri's science services
All current ExperiCo staff, assets and facilities were included in the transaction and there is an exciting and positive buzz at both FAS and ExperiCo’s staff about this new relationship. Erik de Vries, Managing Director of FAS, confirmed the mutual feeling and said “I am excited about the opportunities for both FAS and ExperiCo and welcome all the staff to the Farmsecure family. I am looking forward to working with the team – there are huge opportunities.”
Schalk Lubbe, CEO of Farmsecure Technologies, said that Farmsecure was delighted and honoured to welcome the ExperiCo team to the family. “ExperiCo is a long established and successful business, and we want to assure ExperiCo clients all around the world that we are fully committed to supporting and further strengthening the business.”
Farmsecure Agri Science focuses on empowering farmers with agricultural knowledge and precision farming skills through the latest available global technologies, research, skills and experience available in agriculture, to achieve input efficiency while achieving exceptional quality and yield. FAS is largely able to provide a service from “soil to shelf”. However, the company would like to strengthen their pre- and post-harvest research and development function. This is critical if FAS is going to establish the cause of many of the problems associated with fruit and other fresh produce, as well as testing of varieties and cultivars amongst other agriculturally related research and development, including packaging and post-harvest storage to prolong quality. With the acquisition of ExperiCo and its more than 30 years’ post-harvest research and development services, this vital gap will be filled in full.
“Farmsecure Agri Science would like to extend our sincere welcome to the ExperiCo family. Through the acquisition, Farmsecure Agri Science will realise the opportunity to expand its current service portfolio in pre-harvest services, but, more importantly and more significantly, develop our offering into post-harvest related services, including research and development. This will complete the FAS vision in offering a service from “soil to shelf”. Likewise, we are equally excited about the cross selling opportunities that are going to emerge for ExperiCo as a result of merging with the Farmsecure Group of companies and the path ahead looks rewarding,” James Moore, FAS General Manager.
ABOUT EXPERICO
ExperiCo was established more than thirty years ago under the Deciduous Fruit Board, and on deregulation in 1990, became Unifruco Research Services, which was subdivided into Hortec and Capespan Technology Development in 1997. Capespan is one of the leaders in global fruit marketing and it provides supply chain solutions as well.
In 2004 the name changed to ExperiCo. ExperiCo has since become an established research and development facility, with its primary services being focused on pre- and postharvest fruit related technologies. Specialising in commercial quality maintenance research involving harvesting, packaging and storing fruit destined for local and offshore markets, it also commercialises innovative fruit-related technologies in collaboration with global clients, partners or investors. The client base includes a wide range of South African and international businesses with direct or indirect interests in the fruit or horticultural industry, including producer trusts, new variety developers, chemical companies, packaging manufacturers and universities.
ExperiCo’s success is built on a highly dedicated scientific team with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. This enables the division to successfully combine scientific research and development with the realities and complexities of commercial fruit handling. Because it has an extensive global network, it is strongly positioned in terms of aligned technology support and communication. This enables ExperiCo to enhance its culture of developing deep client relationships.
ExperiCo Fruit Technology Solutions obtained its ISO 9001:2008 certification the first time round. The General Manager of ExperiCo, Dr Martin Taylor said, “The fact that it was achieved at the first attempt is testament to the ExperiCo team’s dedication and certainty that implementing ISO 9001:2008 will assist in optimizing our business focus. There aren’t many fruit technology research organisations with this ISO certification, so the standard will be an advantageous discerning factor for us, which will further assist in developing our business.”
Over the years ExperiCo has made huge contributions towards technologies adopted by the South African fruit business, thereby assisting in maintaining a competitive edge. In the case of table grapes ExperiCo has over the years played a pivotal role in the development of technologies aimed at improving post-harvest quality maintenance. This includes research on SO2 sheet technology, implementation of perforated outer bags to manage moisture in the grape packs and to control berry split, as well as development and implementation of moisture absorbing pads, also for moisture management. Working together with various clients, the table grape research team has also made good progress in research aimed at reducing browning as well as colouration of red and black grape cultivars. The pome fruit research programme run by ExperiCo has also been successful, most noticeably due to the work done on SmartFresh.
This technology is now used very successfully by South African producers and packhouses to improve storage potential of apples in particular. From a stone fruit research point of view, the team has developed a new penetrometer method for determination of optimum harvest maturity, been instrumental in developing liner wrapper and bag technologies to control shrivel. It also played a major role in development of decay control practices on pack-lines using atomiser systems.
In addition to fruit specific research, ExperiCo has comprehensive programmes, which are also conducted on a user pay basis to evaluate new fruit varieties and to conduct packaging related research. The variety evaluation team focus mainly on establishing optimum maturity windows, storage regimes, packaging formats and market potential for multiple fruit kinds. In the case of packaging, while some work is focused on structural packaging, most of the research relates to fruit quality maintenance. With the fruit industry facing pressure from retailers to reduce packaging and related carbon footprints, plus rising electricity costs and power cuts that hit the Western Cape in 2008, ExperiCo felt prompted to develop a new table grape packaging system to reduce the required cooling period.
The V-Channel air-flow system shown here was consequently developed and patented by ExperiCo, for use by table grape packers as required.
EXPERICO EXPERTS
ExperiCo has an impressive staff complement of scientists including six M.Sc. / Ph.D.’s who have been with the company for 15 to 25 years, all of whom are highly experienced in the fruit industry. The total staff complement is made up of 12 scientists, 5 technical support staff and 3 administrators / general assistants.
Dr Martin Taylor would like to thank all the loyal clients who have helped make ExperiCo the successful commercial research business it is today. He also thanks Capespan for their support over the years. He said that “the ExperiCo team is extremely excited about joining the Farmsecure family and that everyone is looking forward to all the exciting new challenges which lie ahead.”
For more information please visit www.farmsecure.co.za or www.experico.co.za
Experico Fruit Technology Solutions a division of Farmsecure Agri Science (Pty) Ltd