Welgemeen Boerdery claims top honours at CFG awards: “Small innovations make all the difference”
The combination of an exceptional climate, flawless fruit without blemishes, and a generous dose of grace led to the Welgemeen Boerdery in the Witzenberg Valley claiming top honours for overall excellence at Ceres Fruit Growers’ (CFG) annual awards ceremony at the end of last year.
CFG holds shares in Tru-Cape, South Africa’s largest supplier of apples and pears.
In addition to the major award, Welgemeen Boerdery also claimed the Buks Nel floating trophy for best performance in BigBucks Gala— a prestigious honour presented for the first time. They were further honoured with floating trophies for their outstanding performance with Golden Delicious, Abate Fetel, and Mahana Red, respectively.
“Last year was an incredible season, and we were truly blessed,” says Hannes Hanekom, who heads up operations at Welgemeen Boerdery. He farms with his brother, Sakkie Hanekom. Their father, Izak, is also a shareholder in the business.
“It was a fantastic winter, with sufficient chill units and ample water. From there, everything aligned perfectly. We had no strong winds, hail, or sleet that could damage our fruit. Over the years, we made sure our productions were good, but in a season like last year, where everything came together so well, we could focus on the finer details to ensure great quality. We are deeply grateful for seasons like these!”
The Hanekom family produces apples and pears on approximately 200 hectares (of which about 90% are apples) on their farms Welgemeen and Slagboom. To ensure cash flow stability and to utilise their natural resources, they also produce onions and onion bulbs for seed production.
“The Witzenberg Valley is renowned for apple production. The fact that we are located at a high altitude and cooler than the Warm Bokkeveld plays a major role in our success with apples. That being said, some pear varieties, like Abate Fetel, do exceptionally well here, and I think it is because of chill requirements.”
BigBucks Gala “a success story”
As the inaugural recipient of the Buks Nel floating trophy, Hannes explains that he takes his lead from the variety group at CFG when it comes to choosing new varieties.
“There are many exciting new apple varieties on the horizon, but we know Gala types perform exceptionally well in our area, so I prefer to stick to the fundamentals. BigBucks Gala is an improved Gala mutation and our most recent success story.”
The Hanekoms were early adopters of this proudly South African variety, discovered by Tru-Cape’s new variety specialist, Buks Nel.
“Once again, our climate is a major advantage, as we’ve never experienced heat damage on BigBucks Gala. Early on, we realised that this variety shouldn’t be harvested all at once, as determining ripeness can be tricky. Instead, we go through the orchard two or three times during harvest, ensuring that our pickers – who receive intensive training – select fruit at its peak ripeness. It’s not easy, especially when the apples look so incredibly beautiful on the trees! For the first time, we also successfully applied a growth regulator to delay the maturation process of the apples. This played a key role in ensuring all apples ripen. It sounds simple, but we reap the dividends – we achieve excellent pack-outs and no come-backs.”
Long history with Abate Fetel
In the mid-90s, Izak joined CFG on a producers’ trip to Europe, where he learnt about Abate Fetel. Enthusiastic about its potential, he planted South Africa’s first block of Abate Fetel on Welgemeen. Though the rootstock and soil type were not ideal, leading to low yields, the orchard produced “the most beautiful pears”.
“We gained valuable experience with Abate Fetel long before it became ‘a thing’ in the industry. Later on, I established an Abate Fetel orchard on the semi-dwarfing BA29 rootstock. Many told me this was a mistake and that the trees would topple over due to incompatibility. I admit, it was a bit of a gamble, but it worked like a charm. Today, planting Abate Fetel on BA29 is widely accepted in the industry,” Hannes, a multi-time recipient of the Abate Fetel trophy, explains.
Aside from that initial orchard, their experience with Abate Fetel has been positive.
“Pruning is absolutely crucial. We prune twice – first in winter and then again during flowering. Flower competition can be rife, so it’s vital to remove some of the volume. We also apply knife cuts at this stage to ensure good fruit set. Additionally, we’ve experimented with growth hormones and regulators to find a recipe that works for us,” he shares their tips.
Technology and varietal innovation
The Hanekoms view their shareholding in CFG and Tru-Cape as a strategic advantage.
“For a medium-sized farmer, the risk and overheads are simply too high to go at it alone. Packing and marketing have become extremely complex, but as part of the Tru-Cape and CFG network, we benefit from their scale, expertise, and investment in every stage of the supply chain – right down to packaging (APL Cartons) and juice processing (Ceres Fruit Processors).”
Hannes and Sakkie stay at the forefront of new varieties and rootstocks through information shared by CFG and Tru-Cape and trialling it on a small scale on the farm.
“Over time, you learn which soil types and slopes best suit different rootstocks, but there’s no universal rule. What works on a neighbouring farm might not work on yours. That’s why we continuously experiment. In fact, one of CFG’s trial blocks is located on our farm, which gives us firsthand insight into new varieties – how they ripen, taste, and store. It is all about observation, curiosity, and a hunger for knowledge,” he believes.
Hannes is particularly enthusiastic about the prospects for Inored-Story, a relatively new variety they planted.
“One of our young orchards has already yielded around 60 t/ha already. It is a grower-friendly tree with apples that don’t bruise easily, have some resistance to apple scab, colour beautifully, and offer great eating quality. Cooling presents some challenges, but I’m confident CFG will solve that.”
Technology plays an increasingly vital role in Welgemeen’s success.
“Even small innovations – like computerised irrigation, real-time logging, more accurate weather predictions, and job costing – make a huge impact. These days, the detail we accumulate per block allows me to fine-tune my calculations, not to mention the possibilities for precision farming.”
Planning for the future
As a third-generation family farm, Hannes believes in open conversations and proactive planning to manage expectations.
“We involve experts to help us plan for the future and facilitate the next generation’s transition into the business. It is important to have these discussions early, put structures in place, and develop a deep understanding of the farm’s operations. The sooner everybody aligns behind a shared vision and goal, the better.”
Rising costs are one of their main challenges as fruit farmers.
“Big yields imply big expenses. After weathering hail damage in previous seasons, we were fortunate that prices remained strong last year, but each year, costs skyrocket, making profitability tougher to sustain.”
When faced with tough decisions, Hannes often recalls his grandmother’s advice.
“Ouma Lettie Hanekom always said: Kom tyd, kom raad (With time comes wisdom). Impulsive decisions often lead to unfavourable outcomes. Take an extra moment to think before acting. There is no such thing as a quick answer in a long-term industry. And above all, stay on your knees! The fruit industry keeps you humble; much of what we receive is unearned.”
For more information, please contact Lucille Botha at lucilleb@tru-cape.co.za or visit www.tru-cape.com. Follow Tru-Cape on X (@TruCapeFruit), Facebook (@Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing), TikTok (@trucape), and Instagram (@trucapefruit).
