South African Kiwi Growers gather for Annual General Meeting at Future Africa 2023-09-05
The South African Kiwi Growers Association convened its Annual General Meeting at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa campus from 10-11 August. The event, hosted by the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), provided a dynamic platform for stakeholders to exchange insights, innovations, and strategies for the continued growth of the nation's Kiwifruit industry. This included presentations by Prof. Bernard Slippers, highlighting the research done at FABI in collaboration with several different industries and PhD candidate, Ms Cheyenne Theron, that outlined the research objectives for the Kiwifruit Protection Programme (KPP) for the upcoming growing season. At the conclusion of the first day, attendees were given a tour of the FABI biocontrol facilities by various MSc and PhD students who also showcased their work in these research fields. On the second day, meetings continued at FABI on the main campus and growers were given a tour of the Institute by Prof. Irene Barnes, which included the FABI Diagnostic Clinic, where farmers can submit their diseased samples for diagnostics.