PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Members of the Plettenberg Bay Men's Probus Club enjoyed an informative visit to one of the Garden Route's pioneering macadamia farms last week, where they learnt about the challenges and rewards of growing one of South Africa's most valuable export crops.
From aviation to agriculture
The group visited Skyedane Farm in the Crags, owned by Vaughan and Joyce Griffin, whose journey from the aviation industry to farming has helped establish macadamia production in the region.
The couple bought the historic property in 1998 after leaving Johannesburg, where Vaughan was a pilot with South African Airways and Joyce worked as a cabin attendant.
Seeking a quieter lifestyle, they arrived to find a half-finished house and an established clementine orchard. While Vaughan continued flying until 2008, Joyce enrolled in horticulture studies through Unisa and began exploring farming opportunities.
Although they had not planned to become farmers, Joyce's research led them to experiment with macadamia nuts, a crop that had not yet been grown commercially in this part of the country.
They removed the clementine trees and planted their first macadamia orchard in 2000, becoming the first successful macadamia farm in the Garden Route. Encouraged by the results, they established two additional orchards in 2003 and 2005, bringing the total number of trees to about 3 000.
When Vaughan retired from SAA in 2008, having served as a Boeing 747 Jumbo captain, he joined Joyce as a full-time farmer on their 9ha property alongside the N2. He later spent six years flying for Mango before dedicating himself entirely to farming.
A thriving Garden Route success story
What began with a modest first harvest of just 800kg has grown into an annual production of more than 20 tonnes of macadamia nuts.
After harvesting, the nuts are dehusked and sold in-shell to the Green Farms Nut Company for processing at its facility near Margate in KwaZulu-Natal.
During the visit, Probus members gained a first-hand appreciation of the complexities of modern macadamia farming. They learnt about specialised grafting techniques that reduce the time to first harvest while improving nut quality, as well as the labour-intensive harvesting process, which can extend from May to September.
Joyce explained that South Africa is the world's largest producer of macadamia nuts, harvesting more than 90 000 tonnes annually. Around 95% of the country's crop is exported, with more than half shipped in-shell, mainly to China, while the remainder is processed and exported to markets in the Americas, Europe and Canada.
She said the average price is about R200 per kilogram.
Visitors also saw the emphasis placed on quality control throughout every stage of production.
For the Probus members, the visit provided a fascinating glimpse into how the Griffinses' vision of a peaceful country life evolved into a successful agricultural enterprise that has helped shape a new farming industry in the Garden Route.
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