SASTA Webinar A SASTA webinar was held on 26 March 2026. The webinar featured two presentations from the agricultural section of SASTA Congress 2025. Both papers were winners of the Kynoch Award, based on content of the papers, as well as the quality of the presentations at the Congress. Characterising Climate Change SASRI’s Cropping Systems…
Visit to Ilembe Foundry SASTA members were treated to an insightful visit to Ilembe Foundry in March. By our own admission, many of us were unsure what to expect, and we were thoroughly fascinated by the processes we observed. For those unable to attend, a foundry is a factory where metal is melted and poured…
Cooling Farm and Fountainhill Estate, KZN Midlands SASTA members were treated to insights into two fascinating operations in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on 25 February 2026. Kiwis and avocados were on the menu for the day, and both farms kept our members spellbound as we learned about some of the intricacies of producing these crops. We…
UCL Avocado Packaging Plant In August 2025, SASTA members visited Union Co-Op Limited (UCL)’s advanced Avocado Packaging Plant. The tour offered valuable insight into the company’s highly efficient and sustainable operations. Led by Clinton Vermeulen, General Manager: Operations (Manufacturing), members explored the facility’s innovative processes and technology. The avocado packhouse is a recent addition to…
SASRI Celebrates a Century of Impact! The South African Sugar Research Institute (SASRI) marked a major milestone — 100 years of groundbreaking research and innovation — with a prestigious centenary celebration at Mount Edgecombe on Tuesday, 15 July. Held under the theme “A Century of Achievement, a Future of Possibilities,” the event reflected on SASRI’s basis of…
Sustainability in action at… Donovale Farming Company The recent SASTA Field Day in the Midlands showcased the impressive sustainability journey of Donovale Farming Company. Attendees had the opportunity to meet owners Chris and Ant Edmonds, with Ant presenting the farm’s innovative and ecoconscious approach to agriculture. Spanning 985 hectares in KwaZulu-Natal, Donovale grows sugarcane, navel…
Bell Equipment, Richards Bay If big machines and a home-grown success story are your thing, you’d have been sorry to miss the SASTA field visit to Bell Equipment, in Richards Bay, on 19 May 2025. SASTA visitors were greeted with tea and coffee, and an introduction to the Bell story by employees Emile van Wyk…
Rossi La Mercy Early in May, members of SASTA were invited to visit Rossi’s facility in La Mercy. Rossi, a global leader in industrial gearbox manufacturing, invited SASTA to view the largest planetary drive of the Rossi product range. The SASTA group were also treated to a tour of their operations and given an overview…
Site visit to FOSKOR, Richards Bay SASTA’s offering to members includes site visits and field days. These visits are frequently outside of the sugar industry and therefore provide exposure to different processes, practices, technologies and perspectives. SASTA members visited FOSKOR Richards Bay towards the end of 2024. Because of the high number of members interested…
Going Nuts on the South Coast! A SASTA field day was held on 20 June 2024 to showcase macadamia nut cultivation and processing. A diversified farming operation at Selsdon Park Estate, Trafalgar, South Coast, was presented by Mark Brand and family, where both sugarcane and macadamia nut cultivation are done supremely well. Mark’s son, Justin,…