The Laastedrif Farming Group, owned by Mr. Rossouw Cillié, is a proud fruit and vegetable supplier to customers such as Woolworths, Freshmark and a wide range of international supermarkets. Quality is non-negotiable for the Laastedrif Farming Group and they ensure this quality by implementing various sustainable farming practices. The Laastedrif Farming Group consists of six farms, each featuring varying altitudes and climatic conditions, enabling them to produce quality fruit and vegetables all year round. In addition to the latter, vegetable variety selection plays an important role in achieving the 12-month supply of vegetables.
Sakata has been doing extensive trial work the past 15 months with our newest commercial hybrid carrot variety, Carvora, at Sebulon and Nuwerus Farms – two of the six farms in the Laastedrif Farming Group.
Pictured is Mr. Johan Conradie farm manager of Nuwerus Farm close to Elandsbay. These Carvora carrots were sown on the 10th of January and harvested on the 2nd of May. Mr. Johan Conradie was very impressed with the smooth, uniform and cylindrical roots with blunt tips produced by Carvora – the latter qualities are perfect for pre-packing purposes.
Mr. Johan Conradie also complemented Carvora with regard to the variety’s, earliness (maturity – days from sow to harvest), high yield, percentage marketable pre-pack carrots produced, strong and healthy foliage (ideal for mechanical harvesting) and also the fact that Carvora is suitable for year round production, fitting into the Laastedrif Farming Group 12-month vegetable supply goal.
Carvora has made its mark with multiple large carrot producers throughout South Africa and is definitely here to stay.