Jeanne Fourie, cultivar specialist at Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing. (Photo: Tru-Cape)
The South African apple industry stands on the threshold of a historic milestone when this industry celebrates its 364th anniversary on Friday.
To commemorate this remarkable journey from a single tree to a world-class export industry, Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing planted a rare white grape apple at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town. This event is all the more special as it coincides with the school’s centenary celebration.
The white grape apple is not just any apple tree; it is exactly the same cultivar that was planted by Jan van Riebeeck at the Cape more than three centuries ago. On 17 April 1662, Van Riebeeck recorded in his diary that he picked the first two Dutch apples at the Cape from a five-foot-high white apple tree.
Jeanne Fourie, cultivar specialist at Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, put the magnitude of these humble beginnings into perspective when planting the tree.
“Today, South Africa is home to approximately 45 million apple trees and we produce 1.3 million tonnes of apples annually. This makes us the largest apple exporter in the Southern Hemisphere. The apple industry makes an extraordinary contribution to our country’s economy.”
South African apples are nowadays exported to more than 100 countries and the industry provides bread on the table for more than 240,000 people.
Rediscovery of lost cultivar
The path to getting the historic white grape apple back into South African soil was a long-standing passion project of Henk Griessel, Tru-Cape’s quality assurance manager, and his colleague Buks Nel.
The historic white grape. (Photo: Tru-Cape)
Griessel is a former pupil of Jan van Riebeeck High School, just like his mother and uncle before him. Their research led them to the archives of the United Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) and age-old pomological texts, which eventually traced the cultivar to two surviving trees in a private garden between the Rhine and Meuse rivers in the Netherlands.
“It is truly a miracle that those trees survived, as the area was heavily bombed during the Second World War.”
Despite South Africa’s strict import regulations for planting material, the cultivar was eventually successfully established. Until now, there were only three of these trees in the country: at Tru-Cape’s heritage orchard in Grabouw, at Babylonstoren and in the Tuynhuys garden.
Symbol of growth and resilience
The planting of the fourth tree at a school celebrating its 100th anniversary and named after the man who planted the first tree is imbued with symbolism.
“It reminds us how time, faith and patience can change something that is small into something that is truly significant,” says Fourie.
“It also serves as recognition for Griessel’s massive contribution to the industry, as author of numerous publications and recipient of several awards.”
Roelf Pienaar, the managing director of Tru-Cape, also expressed his praise for the school and the industry.
“The South African apple industry stands as a remarkable example of resilience, innovation and global competitiveness. From a single tree to a world leader in the export industry, this is a story we can all be proud of.
“We also heartily congratulate Jan van Riebeeck High School on its centenary – may this tree serve as a lasting symbol of growth, heritage and future success.”
Day of heritage and flowers
The day was further enlivened by Gwen Fagan who Rose centifolia planted – a rose that is considered to be one of the first roses to be grown in South Africa. The planting is part of a larger greening project at the school where 100 shade trees have been planted on the campus in recent months.
“As we celebrate 364 years of apples in South Africa, we invite everyone to take a moment on Friday to enjoy one of our delicious locally grown apples and share in the pride of an industry that continues to go from strength to strength,” said Pienaar.