The farm
ORIP Farm
In Aussenkehr, Cool Fresh International’s ‘Orange River Irrigation Project (ORIP)’ has been breaking new ground since 2009…..
Aussenkehr has a population of around 30,000 inhabitants. The mild coastal climate here is perfect for growing table grapes.
Few places in the world can produce them in November and December because of frost and rainfall, yet several grape varieties thrive on high heat and low humidity.
For this reason Aussenkehr has become a hot-spot for table grape production in the world!
For many years, most farms in Aussenkehr have focused on the production of grapes, being the most profitable export product.
Cultivating other crops such as tomatoes and watermelons have failed because of lacking cooling possibilities, and Aussenkehr’s remote location.
But ORIP has taken it a step further!
By introducing a stringent research and development plan, and by building a state of the art cold storage facility, the farm has been succesful in introducing the cultivation and professional post harvest handling of new crops like potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, butternuts etcetera.
With more than 700 hectares of fertile land and a highly professional management, the farm today has available a broad range of crops.
ORIP is unique in that it produces, packs and distributes not only export grapes, but also a broad variety of fresh produce for local consumption, which obviously lessens the country’s dependency on imported products.
ORIP’s outstanding facilities and professional management ensures that its fruit and vegetables meet even the most stringent quality standards. A case in point concerns our dates, which is in much demand.
A GlobalGAP certification satisfies even the complex, costly set of interconnected requirements covering food safety, the origins of produce, environmental standards and the social welfare of workers on farms.
All produce is marketed under the brand name Freedom Fruit, one which stands ‘doing good by doing right’.
It is a brand which embraces a better future for the African fruit industry and creates an opportunity for the disadvantaged communities in Africa.
On the job training is provided to local emerging farmers, covering aspects such as:
• Advice on best agricultural practises
• Crop care and crop health
• Cash crop selection
• Production cost optimisation
• Yield optimisation
• Post-harvest and cold chain management
• Distribution and marketing issues
• Caring for the environment and sustainable farming methods
• Water management
• Cold store operations
• Packing operations
ORIP has shown that it is not scared of breaking new ground. The strategic expansion program has resulted in an impressive growth rate, which benefits the local community.
