GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Economic opportunities for emerging farmers, wild harvesters and local producers of honeybush herbal infusion in the Garden Route are to be impacted greatly through an innovative honeybush processing unit that was successfully demonstrated at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC)'s Infruitec/Nietvoorbij facility in Stellenbosch last week.

This technology, developed by ARC, has the potential to be upscaled and rolled out to the agriculture sector and is hoped to provide a boost to the Garden Route Agro-processing Support Project. 

This project aims to strengthen the honeybush tea value chain, and the demonstration marks a significant milestone in the project.

At the demonstration event ARC research director Prof Bongani Ndimba highlighted the importance of this initiative and its history, dating back to 1992. “This project is part of a broader effort to support agro-processing and food security in the region. The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) has sourced R1-m in funding for the project, which will help to expand production and processing of agricultural products."

Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, congratulated the different entities that worked together to make progress with the project. “This project is another good example of how different government entities can plan, budget, and execute together to the benefit of our residents.”

The Western Cape Department of Local Government (DLG), Department of Agriculture (DOA), the ARC and GRDM successfully worked together on making the honeybush processing plant possible.

The DLG and DOA each invested R2-m in the project that has three phases, phase one being the design and construction of the honey bush retort; phase two will be the construction of an agri-processing hub and the housing infrastructure on land belonging to the GRDM close to the Cango Caves outside Oudtshoorn, and phase three involves branching out to agri-tourism, with a focus on training tea sommeliers.

"We are committed to promoting inclusivity in the honeybush value chain, making everyone feel included and part of a larger community. The communities' role is integral to the success of the project."

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