Zeder Expects Fruitful Season Following Western Cape Winter Rains

The agribusiness-focused investment holding group, Zeder, expressed a high level of optimism about the forthcoming fruit season. This comes despite the destruction brought about by recent storms, which severely damaged both infrastructure and crops as well as disrupting transport by cutting off roads in the Western Cape. However, they believe that the plentiful winter rains in the region might offset these losses and result in a more bountiful fruit yield.

In its half-yearly report to the end of August, published on Tuesday, Zeder - which boasts a valuation of around R2.6bn on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) - stated, "The Western Cape winter period experienced excellent rainfall, filling all farm dams to capacity, and plentiful cold units which are both positive factors for the coming pome season."

This strong indication of a promising season for pome and other fruit crops comes as much-needed good news for not only Zeder's stakeholders but also for the broader agricultural landscape in South Africa, which was in desperate need of a morale boost following seasonal storms and resulting hurdles.