LETABA - SUBTROPICAL PRODUCE PARADISE
The Letaba district has the perfect climate for producing some of
the best quality sub tropical fruits and vegetables grown in South Africa.
The area boasts citrus, tea, mangoes, litchis, avocados, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, bananas,
macadamia nuts, pecan nuts, paw paws, and much more.
Here are a few interesting facts about some of these crops:
AVOCADOS
In 1672 the English W Hughes, physician to King Charles II, encountered the fruit
in Jamaica and enthused: "It nourisheth and strengtheneth the body, corroborating the
spirits and procuring lust exceedingly".
An estimated 40% of the total South African crop is produced in the Letaba district, and
between 60 and 65% of the crop is destined for the export market. The export season is
from mid March to mid September, but small quantities of fruit are available year round.
The five main export varieties grown in the region are, Fuerte, Hass, Edranol, Pinkerton/Rinton
and Ryan.
Avocados are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as being the most nutritious fruit/veg
which is generally consumed raw and contains NO CHOLESTEROL a fact a lot of people in the
medical profession do not know.
Avocado oil is used as the basis for Avodeau, a range of locally manufactured cosmetic and
skin care products, because of its excellent softening and healing properties.
CITRUS
The Letsitele area of the Letaba district is the biggest production area for
citrus in the Northern Province and is responsible for 80% of the citrus production. There
are 7 700 ha of citrus in this area.
The whole Northern Province, and specifically Letsitele, was the worst affected by the
drought. Approximately 2 400 ha of citrus died between 1993 and 1995. Most of the orchards
can be replanted (even though the drought ended in 1996) due to the fact that young trees
use less water than fully grown trees. All the dams in the Letsitele area are now full and
the future looks optimistic! New plantings are mostly noble Valencia varieties e.g.
Midknights and Delta Seedless as well as grapefruit, such as Star Ruby. These cultivars
realise premium prices on the overseas markets because seedless citrus and pigmented
grapefruit are in demand.
In 1994, 7 million cartons were exported from the Letsitele area and 5 million
cartons in 1995. It is estimated that ± 6 million cartons will be exported in 1996. A
large number of people are employed in the citrus industry. In the Letsitele area alone,
12 000 workers are employed on 57 citrus farms. They support a total of 60,000 dependants.
LITCHIS
The region is a major centre for litchi production and both commercial varieties
are grown here - Maclean Red, Madras or Mauritius. The litchi season is a short but hectic
season starting in mid December until the end of February. Approximately 55% of the crop
is exported.
MACADAMIA NUTS
The tree is indigenous to the rain forests of Australia; it is a tall, evergreen
member of the protea family, with firm shiny leaves. In Spring, delicate raeme-like
flowers festoon the trees, varying in colour from white to pink and even bronze. In time
these turn into long clusters of green fruits (husks) that split at maturity, exposing
perfectly round, shiny brown nuts. The particularly hard woody shells on the nuts defy
normal nutcrackers, and require special equipment to extract the ivory-coloured kernels.
The nut has a characteristically subtle flavour and crisp texture, deserving of its now
entrenched image of being the world's gourmet nut.
MANGOES
Mango production is the fastest growing sector of the subtropical fruit industry
in the Letaba district. Most of the mangoes produced are of the fibreless type, of which
the most popular cultivars are Tommy Atkins, Kent, Sensation and Heidi. In 1996, mango
production in the Letaba District accounted for 36% of South Africa's 40 000 ton mango
crop. Exports of fresh mangoes account for 18% of the crop, and local fresh market, achar
(green mango pickle), and juice account for 32%, 40% and 9% of the crop respectively.
TEA
Tea is manufactured from tender shoots comprising two or three leaves and a bud
(the more tender the leaf the better the tea.) Each step in the process requires care and
attention to detail if the full flavour potential of the tea is to be captured. The tea
maker has to make decisions during each day's "make" based on his intrinsic
understanding of the process and a faith in his senses, particularly taste and smell. On
any Tea Estate the tea maker is a key functionary - and a true artist. Once harvested the
green leaf is withered for about 16 hours in specially made steel troughs, then
transferred to the "cutting room". Here it is pulped and macerated into tiny
juice covered, rolled-up green particles by machines specifically designed for the
purpose. The tea is then aerated with cool humid air for slightly over an hour, taking up
oxygen and turning the tea to a coppery colour. This oxidation process is called
fermentation. After fermentation the fragmented tea (or dhool) is dried to its recognised
black colour, sorted into determined sizes and bagged for dispatch to the blenders and
packers.
TOMATOES
ZZ2 Tomato Farms The tomato farms are found over the whole of the Mooketsi area
with the ZZ2 headquarters situated on the Wagendrift road, turning off the Duivel
skloof-Mooketsi (R36) road. |