Citrus Farming: Off-season tasks
Gerhard Uys
Farmer’s Weekly
Piet Engelbrecht, who grows citrus on 450ha in the Loskop Valley near Marble Hall, Limpopo, says that the management of a citrus orchard in the off-season determines the success of a harvest.
“The moment the last fruit is picked, the next season begins,” he stresses.
Almost 70% of input costs are incurred during this period, according to Piet. This results in a considerable risk, as there is not much money left over to counter problems such as drought, hail or pests that might occur later on.