Partnership sees new potato offering brought to market

lehtta1 via pixabay

RSA has entered into a strategic partnership with the Free State-based Wesgrow, formerly known as Wesvrystaat Aartappel Moerkwekers, which has a 52-year strong heritage in South Africa as the country’s leading seed potato producer, and currently represents up to 65% of all potato seed production in South Africa. Its new Wesgrow brand harnesses this heritage and combines it with a fresh approach to potato marketing – one based on elevating the status of South African potatoes and providing tangible value for money through supplying excellent quality produce at market prices. In line with this, Wesgrow will debut with five pack sizes: 1kg, 2kg, 4kg (new to market), 7kg and 10Kg.

Although all markets along the value chain are important to Wesgrow, their research shows as much as 70% of its business will come from the informal market sector via hawkers, spaza shops, and independent sellers. However, Wesgrow will actively service all LSM groups, including top-end buyers and consumers.

A strategic partnership

“Over the past 33 years, RSA has become a leader in its field, offering our customers and growers the marketing edge they need to add value to their businesses. We are constantly looking to partner with innovative growers who supply good quality products. Wesgrow’s progressive thinking to elevate potatoes from just a commodity in South Africa reflects our vision to maintain our leadership position within the fresh produce industry. It’s a true strategic partnership with solidly aligned business goals,” explains Jaco Oosthuizen, group managing director of RSA Market Agents.

Gerhard Posthumus, Wesgrow MD, echoes these sentiments. “RSA's vision and values resonate with us, and as the largest market agent in South Africa, its country-wide footprint supports our own vision for national growth. Added to this, we share the same appetite when it comes to African business prospects, making this a strategically important and symbiotic relationship,” he says.

#Wesgrow has done a superb job of branding their new potato varieties. @farmersweeklysa @rsamarketagents pic.twitter.com/rLmiEc4LvH

— Wilma den Hartigh (@WilmadenHartigh) May 26, 2016

Wesgrow potatoes

Initially, Wesgrow potatoes will be available on the RSA market floor in Johannesburg, with a view to being rolled out to the Durban and Tshwane markets in the future.

Wesgrow is a farmer-owned company situated in the western Free State. It comprises of a group of 18 farmers growing 5,000 hectares of potatoes under irrigation in the Christiana area. It sources its exclusive potato varieties from Hetema Zonen Potato Corporation (HZPC) in Holland and Irish Potato Marketing (IPM) in Ireland.

The company has a mini tuber greenhouse facility in the area where all Wesgrow mother seed is produced. Two of its most successful varieties in the past have been Mondial and Sifra, which now dominate the South African retail space. It has contract growers around the country, which allows it to provide seed to farmers nationally, all year round. Wesgrow also operates a separate marketing company just outside Christiana with its own pre-packing facility.