After Ramadan depleted international stocks, Karas dates just in time for regional market
Local date producer, Desert Fruit, said this week its current harvest is of excellent quality, bolstered in no small measure by the company’s new 10,000 square metre state-of-the-art packing store. Sorting and packing will run until the end of July at which point the total 2018 harvest should be processed. The store was commissioned in February last year.
“We are very proud of the fruit we see this year, packing has improved over the season, and the quality is reflected in the product. A strong team is developing which I am proud to be part of,” said shift manager, Karoline Hendriks.
Desert Fruit is in the last stages of packing this year’s Medjool, Khallas and Zamli harvest. These dates are packed for the export market, all going to other countries in southern Africa, to Europe and to a number of countries in the Middle East. “During this process our investment into the 10,000 sqm packing and processing facility, the Desert Fruit Pack store, has proven invaluable,” said Charles Edmonds, Pack Store and Farming Technical Manager
The date pack store, the largest in Namibia, runs the most advanced equipment for processing, sorting and packing dates. All processes are HACCIP controlled and conform to the strictest standards for export to Europe. The high-quality dates are individually sorted to meet international grading criteria.
Hendriks said at Desert Fruit they focus on continuous training and skills enhancement to ensure that the after-harvest process preserves the fine qualities of their dates. Desert Fruit stated that their dates are highly rated internationally filling a much-needed gap at this time of the year.
Edmonds explained: “The southern African region currently does not have access to high quality middle eastern growers and product since this product has been harvested last year already during their northern hemisphere summer. So, our dates are ready – at just the right time.”
Caption: Tending the sorting table, from the left, Karolina Hendricks, Ndumba Gregentjia, Managing Director Seth Holmes, Klaudia Kambindja, Anselma Shipeku and Tashia Ndeshaanya.
