An economic evaluation of South Africa’s peach and nectarine research

The peach and nectarine industry is one of the important agricultural industries that were established in the Western Cape region. It has a history that dates back to 1655 when the Dutch East India Company’s commander, Jan Van Riebeeck, started the experimental planting of perennial crops and fruit trees in the Cape Colony. Peaches and nectarines had the highest tree numbers in the Cape Colony in 1892 and peaches pioneered fresh fruit exports in the same year (Standard Bank, 1965). The emergence of the industry is attributed to the introduction of better suited production practices by the French Huguenots, the availability of high yielding and easy to grow fruit varieties and the availability of an accessible local market (Pickstone, 1917; Aucamp, 1987).

The industry seemed to have been set up for success as it had a reliable supply, accessible and growinglocal and export markets, and there were rapid developments in transport and cold storage infrastructure and in the institutions (Aucamp, 1987). However, this was not the case as factors such as enterprise
productivity and fruit quality began to pose great limitations to the industry’s growth. Industry exports were reduced to zero when a wooliness disease was discovered in 1936. At this time industry stakeholders realised that locally developed agricultural research and development (R&D) services were needed to ensure the continuity of the industry. The following year, the Western Province Research Station (WPRS) which is now known as the Infruitec–Nietvoorbij research Institute of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) was established. Unfortunately, the economic benefits of the peach and nectarine research carried out by this Institute have not been calculated thus far and the value that it has created remains unknown.