Red Sun Hortitech is proud to announce, that along with the SGASA and SAMAC accreditations, our macadamia and avocado nursery has added a GLOBALG.A.P and ANA accreditation to its list of certifications.
“This is a proud moment for us. Our team has worked incredibly hard to achieve these accreditations. As a business, we are focused on continuous innovation and improvement. We strive for better trees, better performance and better results for our growers. These certifications are a result of teamwork and focus,” says Mark Hassenkamp, Director of Red Sun Hortitech.
Red Sun Hortitech strives to be innovative and to lead the macadamia and avocado nursery industry. At the heart of the business is a drive for simpler, better and faster processes that supports better growers and to grow the industry as a whole. We want to ensure that the demand for better trees, better yields and a growing competitive industry is being met. Our business is firmly focused on the future of farming, and these accreditations are an essential part of this process.
The GLOBALG.A.P accreditation explained:
The GLOBALG.A.P accreditation sets the global standard for food safety and sustainability. It is an internationally recognized standard for farm production. The goal of this certification is to ensure safe and sustainable agricultural production to benefit farmers, retailers and consumers throughout the world. We want to ensure our processes are consistent, repeatable and that our staff are well trained in best practices to achieve excellent results.
GLOBALG.A.P. Certification covers:
- Food safety and traceability
- Environment (including biodiversity)
- Workers’ health, safety and welfare
- Animal welfare
- Includes Integrated Crop Management (ICM), Integrated Pest Control (IPC), Quality Management System (QMS), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
The GLOBALG.A.P standard demands, among other things, greater efficiency in production processes. It improves business performance and reduces the waste of vital resources. It also requires a general approach to farming that builds in best practices for generations to come. Red Sun Hortitech is the first macadamia and avocado nursery to receive this accreditation in the country. Our intention is to achieve better competitiveness and consistent, excellent tree quality for our growers.
ANA accreditation explained:
The ANA accreditation is facilitated by The South African Avocado Growers Association and is given as a result of a strict audit of the nursey facility including tree quality, pest and disease risk management and mitigation. The ultimate objective of this audit is to ensure that the nursery is producing superior quality trees for the avocado industry that are true to type and free from any harmful pests and diseases. The audit is based on standards of safety, sustainability as well as stringent phytosanitary requirements. Red Sun Hortitech is proud to say that we received a +90% 5 Star Avocado Nursery Association accreditation in October 2019.
“Agriculture and farming are changing. The industry is evolving quickly to achieve higher standards of delivery. We are committed to investing in the future of food and farming in Southern Africa. Our focus remains on how to continually improve, providing the best quality trees and to do so consistently. We want to continue to move the benchmark higher and higher and, these accreditations help us in doing so,” It’s a positive start but only the beginning concludes Hassenkamp.