By Wendell Roelf
Fresh herbs grown in the dusty plains of Beaufort West in the Karoo, packaged and transported to the international market in 24 hours - this is the ultimate goal of the Western Cape's first hydroponic farm.
"The trick is to get the herbs to the market as fresh as possible," said the Western Cape's director for economic development co-ordination, Dudley Adolph.
Adolph said the current pilot facility could be further expanded to the tune of R30-million, but this depended on "marketing and how the products sell both domestically and internationally".
He said with the hydroponic farm now a business operating in the normal economic environment, it would be monitored to see when it started to make a profit, which was expected to happen "towards the end of the year or January next year".
Dudley said negotiations - "at a sensitive stage at the moment" - were taking place between two of South Africa's largest retailers who have expressed interest in buying the herbs locally.
"On Sunday a shipment of herb specimens will be taken to possible buyers in the United Kingdom - a market we have previously just tested," he said.
Dudley said the pilot project would investigate the logistics of transporting the fresh herbs to national and international markets.
The Beaufort West Hydroponics Company was officially launched on Tuesday by provincial and community leaders. The pilot site facility, clearly visible as one enters the town, is conveniently located along the N1 highway, making it easily accessible.
The modern facility, costing about R2,5-million, consists of a 1 600 square metre greenhouse with six semi-circular roofs of taut translucent plastic.
"The greenhouse is equipped with computer-controlled fertilisation and irrigation as well as atmospheric controls. The crops, which currently include basil, mint, dill, coriander, rocket and sorrel, are grown in troughs filled with coir as the growing medium," said project manager Alan Webb.
Webb said access to the greenhouse was strictly controlled, with those entering having to disinfect their hands and shoes, in order to limit the exposure of diseases and infections to the plants.
The greenhouse is operated by an enthusiastic and competent team of fourteen local residents, 365 days-a-year.
Their employment was a tangible spin-off from building the facility. Unemployment in the central Karoo towns of Laingsburg, Beaufort West and Prince Albert is high. According to the latest statistics, there was total unemployment of both men and women in Beaufort West of 58 percent.
"It is a privilege to work. I've learnt a lot about plants and also look at the environment in a different way now," said father of three and family breadwinner, 38-year-old Freddie Martin.
Martin, who described himself as religious, said he had prayed at the site before it was built, asking for God to make it a reality.
"My prayers have been answered. There is bread on the table," he said.
Beaufort West's outgoing mayor Truman Prince said at the launch that job creation was of "absolute importance".
"Beaufort West is the most strategic place in the land. You can't go to Johannesburg, Cape Town or the Eastern Cape if you don't pass this town - the test is how we can get the tourists to spend more time in the town and so help create more jobs," said Prince. - Sapa