Producing under the protection of plastic greenhouse or shade cloth structures result in a more efficient use of resources, firstly as production per square meters can be five to ten times higher than with open land production and the volumes of water used for irrigation can be up to a third lower due to reduced evaporation levels, more efficient irrigation scheduling as well as the recycling of water.
The production season can be stretched, sometimes throughout the year, thanks to climate control solutions and farmers suffer fewer losses due to insect and bird problems. Farmers also use fertiliser more efficiently thanks to the highly sophisticated precision management systems.
The industry makes a huge contribution in creating new employment opportunities. The majority of the greenhouse producers employ a certain number of highly skilled staff to run operations on a daily basis, as a faulty system could result in large losses within a few minutes. Producers also employ part-time picking and packing staff.
Entry costs also do not have to be exorbitant, as a number of locally manufactured and imported self –built greenhouse structures are available at relatively low cost. Dripper irrigation from a drum attached to a roof for rainwater harvesting and a simple fertilizer method can also easily be maintained to feed a few families. It is entirely up to an individual or a few neighbours to start a community greenhouse to feed their families and more.
The demand for fresh produce is also set to increase in South Africa, as it is doing internationally, as more and more people replace some or all of their meat with fresh produce for environmental, economic and or health reasons.
Many different ways of farming are used in South Africa, ranging from intensive to extensive and free-range, conventional to organic, biodyn...