The 2018 SASTA field day took place on Wednesday 14 March with a visit to Dube Agrizone and the Dube Cargo Terminal both situated adjacent to King Shaka International Airport.
The Dube Agrizone comprises of 16 hectares of greenhouses. It is the largest glass-covered, climate-controlled facility in Africa. Dube Agrizone’s focus is the production of vegetables and other horticultural products.
SASTA visitors were taken on a tour of the cucumber growing area. The impressive hydroponic operation uses a sophisticated computer system to regulate nutrient solutions, ventilation, temperature and irrigation.
The Agrizone also boasts a modern micro-propagation laboratory. This 5000 m2 facility comprises a tissue culture laboratory, hardening facility and a dispatch area. Dube AgriLab currently has the capacity to produce more than 3 million plantlets a year. Currently, the laboratory works with sugarcane, ornamental plants, sub-tropical fruit and plants for the forestry industry.
The visit also included the Dube Cargo Terminal, a state-of-the-art facility and one of the most secure cargo operations in Africa. The terminal makes use of computer-based automatic handling equipment, which tracks all cargo digitally.
Attendees also visited the nearby premises of Rossi Southern Africa. Rossi is a leading supplier to the sugar industry of gear reducers, gear motors, electric motors and complete drive packs.
