Monday saw the launch of a R100 million Dürsots and All Joy tomato processing plant in Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo, a move that dovetails with the department of trade and industry’s focus on growing the agro-processing sector as part of the new Industrial Policy Action Plan.
According to Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Rob Davies, this year’s IPAP, launched two weeks ago by the dti, acknowledges agro-processing as one of the vital sectors in realising value-added growth.
“The launch of the tomato processing plant, which currently employs 70 people, will produce 200 more jobs in the next two months and over 300 by the end of the year,” said the founder of All Joy Foods, Marci Pather, adding that 15 000 tonnes of tomatoes would be sourced from 14 emerging farmers.
Quoting the McKinsey (2015) report, Davies said that in 2014 South Africa’s agro-processing industry had contributed R78 billion to South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP).
According to the report, from 2004 to 2014, processing grew at 1.9% per year. “It is the hard work of companies such Dürsots and All Joy that create a strong agro-processing industry in South Africa,” said Davies
