Seed Potato Grower of 2024
Congratulations to Rudi Heinlein of B 054 | Circle-N-Estate for winning the prestigious Bayer Seed Grower of the year award, awarded at the Seed Potato Growers’ Forum 17 July 2024.
Top 3 Seed Potato Growers
It gives us great pleasure to announce the top three seed potato growers. The top three are displayed in alpha-numerical order as per the grower code.
B 054 | Circle-N-Estate
From left: Gerhard, Rudi and Nikus Heinlein
Baltimore, Limpopo
Performance on G0 to G7 material planted during the review:
- 304 hectares registered
- 253 261 x 25 kg bags certified
- 5 varieties planted
D 204 | Henbrie Boerdery
Back: Sanette Thiart (PCS), André van Schalkwyk (Bayer), Willie Jacobs (PSA), Wynand Human , Lutz Hellmuth and André Wessels (PCS). Front: Wilbri Vorster (Bayer), Leon Zietsman (PCS) and Nelius Becker
Douglas, Northern Cape
Performance on G0 to G7 material planted during the review:
- 227 hectares registered
- 152 907 x 25 kg bags certified
- 4 varieties planted
L 026 | Carbrecht (Pty) Ltd.
From left: Frans Engelbrecht, Patricia van der Westhuizen, Carel and Rob Carroll
Tosca, North West
Performance on G0 to G7 material planted during the review:
- 526 hectares registered
- 1 201 328 x 25 kg bags certified
- 15 varieties planted
2024 Bayer Seed Potato Grower: Here are the finalists!
By Sanette Thiart, managing director, Potato Certification Service
Celebrating a job well done is one of life’s most rewarding aspects. The achievement of the finalists in the Bayer Seed Potato Grower of the Year Award is even more remarkable once one understands the challenges seed potato growers face daily.
For these growers, a small everyday victory is when a seed crop is successfully certified. However, in the case of the finalists who meticulously oversee every aspect of seed potato production, ensuring excellence down to the finest detail, their consistent performance has elevated them to the ranks of the top three seed potato growers in the country. This achievement is based on certification data collected over the past three years, emphasising the importance of sustained excellence in seed potato production.
The team at the Potato Certification Service (PCS) values excellence. Therefore it is a great privilege to partner with Bayer in recognising the outstanding achievements of these finalists. The evaluation team’s farm visits serve as a final scrutiny of aspects such as sustainable farming practices and technology, to name a few. This year’s team comprised Wilbri Vorster, go-to-market lead Africa, and André van Schalkwyk, go-to-market manager South Africa at Bayer Horticulture, Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potatoes South Africa (PSA), advocate Les Kügel, executive chairperson of the Independent Certification Council for Seed Potatoes and PCS, Sanette Thiart, managing director, and André Wessels, technical manager at PCS.
The Potato Certification Service (PCS or ASD) plays a crucial role in enabling growers to ensure a sustained supply of good quality planting material. Through certification of seed potatoes, planting material complies with the requirements of the South African Seed Potato Certification Scheme (Scheme).
However, it is these growers, the producers of this critical crop, who truly deserve commendation. With this in mind, it is time for the Bayer Top Seed Potato Grower of the Year Award.
The eligibility criteria for the award necessitate a consistent contribution, requiring seed potato growers to register a minimum of 30 hectares for three consecutive seasons during the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023.
Grower performance is determined through analysis of data recorded by Certification Officials during the certification process, which plays a pivotal role in determining the Top Seed Potato Grower. All findings made by the Certification Officials are scrutinized against the tolerances outlined in the Scheme, and as such, each deviation counts.
All qualifying seed potato growers are ranked according to points earned, leading to the determination of the Top 10 and identification of the finalists. These growers serve as exemplary ambassadors for the seed potato industry.
Based on the outcome of the evaluation done by industry leaders during farm visits to the finalists, the Bayer Top Seed Potato Grower 2024 will be crowned. This announcement is scheduled to take place at the Seed Potato Growers’ Forum, to be held at Century City in Cape Town on 16 and 17 July 2024.
Bayer is al sedert 2005 die trotse borg van die Moerkweker van die Jaar-toekenning. Dit is vir ons ‘n geweldige voorreg om met hierdie gesogte toekenning geassosieer te wees en ‘n pad te kan stap met hierdie groep uitsoek-boere. Elke jaar bring sy eie geleenthede en uitdagings, en die terme van ‘n “goeie”, “slegte” of selfs “normale” jaar in die aartappelbedryf is nie regtig moontlik om met sekerheid te definieer nie.
Eksterne faktore sal altyd daar wees om die lewe interessant te hou – ons werk immers met ‘n biologiese sisteem met ‘n magdom veranderlikes wat meestal buite ons beheer is. Ons kan egter sekere faktore bestuur tot die beste van ons vermoë. In die aartappelbedryf sluit dit die keuse van insette soos aartappelmoere, toerusting, kunsmis en gewasbeskermingsprodukte in.
Bayer streef daarna om innoverende, nuttige, hoë-kwaliteit produkte na die bedryf te bring en so ons boere te help om tot hul volle potensiaal te presteer. Die kwaliteit en uitnemendheid van Suid-Afrikaanse Moerkwekers is vir ons by Bayer ‘n inspirasie, en belyn met ons maatskappy se voorste doelwit: “Science for a Better Life”. Ons sien uit om saam met hierdie industrie nuwe hoogtes te bereik!
Wilbri Vorster | Bayer Horticulture Go-to-Market Lead - Africa