Even in light of the adverse global economic environment, the South African pepper producers at Emseni took the decision to invest in a three-hectare extension in 2020, increasing their total greenhouse operation to twelve acres. Their objective is to become the largest pepper producer in the surrounding area. Emseni has entrusted Vegtech Netafim with the project, which will be completed on a turnkey basis by the company.

Younger generation of farmers “In South Africa, there has been an increase in interest in high-tech agriculture. Topics such as climate change and customer demand for high-quality crops 365 days a year, as well as new crops such as cannabis and advancements in genetics of outdoor crops, all of which increase the demand for fresh plant material produced by nurseries in the United States, are driving this demand.

In the current market, a younger generation of farmers is joining, and they are becoming more aware with foreign trends and new technologies, says Neta Isralls, a representative from Vegtech Netafim. The company is driving the greenhouse industry activity in Africa for its parent company, Netafim, which is headquartered in Israel. They've been delivering greenhouse solutions in Southern Africa for more than two decades at this point, according to their website.

More resistant to adversity
In South Africa, agriculture has shown to be one of the more resilient sectors of the economy, and there are still enormous potential for growth in the sector. We are well-positioned, working with our partner Netafim, to provide precision farming solutions for practically all crops, which have been shown to minimize risk and increase yield,” Neta explains. And it implies greenhouses, a lot of greenhouses, in order to meet demand.

In general, the climate in South Africa is conducive to poly greenhouses, and as consumer demand for higher-quality fresh fruit grew, so did the desire for covert farming solutions that could provide that assurance.

One example of these improvements is the construction of a new greenhouse by the pepper farmers Emseni, who are one of the country's largest producers of sweet peppers. Vegtech began growing peppers in tunnels almost thirty years ago; ten years later, they completed 2.5 hectares of greenhouses; and over the following decade, the company has built more than ten hectares of high-tech greenhouses. They chose to expand the property by 3 hectares last year, increasing the total land to 12 hectares, including an on-site nursery.

Ground was broken for a new greenhouse in Q1 2020, while COVID lockdowns were implemented around the world, causing supply chains and construction projects to be halted. Vegtech Netafim was able to effectively complete the project on schedule and under budget, despite the unusual difficulties they were faced with. We were up and running with high-quality peppers for the local market in less than a year.

Over the roof and sidewalls of the new greenhouse is polyethylene, with multiwall polycarbonate covering the roof and sidewalls. A solid backup power supply is required for all projects in South Africa, due to the country's limited access to electricity supplies. Furthermore, because many of our projects are in remote locations, we take special care to ensure that all of the systems are flawlessly linked and that we are able to provide remote client assistance, says Neta.

The average yield is greater than 30 kg.
The project includes a 6MW heating system, as well as an irrigation system and a climate and irrigation management system that is fully connected with one another. Growing in greenhouses presents additional hazards, some of which can be mitigated. Climate change and scarcity of resources are two examples of such dangers. They are planning to reduce water consumption by 35 percent as a result of the closed-cycle irrigation system, which gathers rainwater and irrigation run-off, disinfects it, and then mixes it with borehole water, as demonstrated by Neta.

They plan to harvest over 3.000 tons per year, resulting in an average yield of more than 30 kg per m2 on their farms. All of it will be delivered to the local market, ensuring that merchants, food processors, and fresh produce markets across South Africa have a reliable supply of peppers that have been grown in a safe and high-quality environment. According to Neta, “Consumers are getting more demanding, and as a result, our clients are seeking for assured outcomes and a return on their investments.” “There is no longer any room for cutting corners.”