Window of opportunity with rooibos
Rooibos, which is exclusively farmed in the Cederberg and Sandveld areas of the Western Cape, is fast becoming one of the most attractive agricultural products to invest in, the South African Rooibos Council (Sarc) said yesterday.
The Sarc said that South Africa holds a competitive advantage in a number of fruit and beverage sectors, including rooibos, which if fully exploited could place the country among the top export producers of high-value agricultural products.
About half, or 6 000 to 7 000 tons, of SA’s rooibos is consumed locally and the balance is exported to more than 30 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK and US.
Nicie Vorster, spokesperson for the Sarc, said the world was increasingly turning to more nutritious food, and rooibos fitted the mould.
“Major rooibos markets view the tea as a premium healthy lifestyle product and promote it in its pure and unblended form, which health-conscious consumers want more of. The increased emphasis on health and well-being globally is fuelling a revival and preference for experiences and products that promote wellness,” Vorster said.
“It’s not only rooibos’ health benefits that makes it highly sought-after, but also its versatility. Apart from enjoying it as a hot or cold beverage – whether plain or flavoured, rooibos is used in multiple other applications, ranging from beauty products and nutraceuticals to alcoholic drinks, confectionary and everyday foodstuffs, such as yoghurt and cereal. Every year, we are seeing innovations in the rooibos category as entrepreneurs and branders experiment with the product.”
Vorster said the current planted area of rooibos was at a record high of 57 000 hectares – almost double that of a decade ago as more farmers, especially in the Swartland region, have planted it. The sector is also attracting new growers, Vorster said, especially grain farmers looking to diversify.
Vorster said rooibos farmers took steps to manage supply in the face of the severe drought that plagued the Western Cape over the past few years, by implementing more sustainable farming practices, removing water-thirsty alien invasive plants in the vicinity of fields and limiting pest and disease outbreaks.
“Even though rooibos farmers are accustomed to periods of drought, since the region is considered a semi-desert, harvests are not immune to the effects of climate change. Yet, based purely on the average rainfall for the past year, we should see an improvement in crop size in 2019.”
The rooibos industry employs about 8 000 farmworkers and additional employment is created in upstream activities of processing, packaging and retailing. – ANA