Louis Claassen (Louis Claassen Familie Trust)
Tags: potatoes south africa, farming, agriculture
The Bayer Seed Potato Grower 2019 was announced at the Bayer evening function at the Potatoes South Africa Seed Potato Growers’ Forum on 17 September at the Tsogo Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel in Cape Town.
Louis Claassen of the Louis Claassen Family Trust was announced as the winner of this prestige award. He is a seed potato grower in the Western Free State. Louis and his family had no previous experience with potatoes when started planting potatoes during the 2014/2015 season and entered 56 hectares for seed potato production under the Scheme. In the past three years, Louis entered an average of 97 hectares under the Scheme for Simba.
Louis reckons that the process of a good quality end product is entirely dependent on an outstanding team. He is very proud of his team of roguers who, from the emerging of the plants, walks through the fields once a week and at times even more often than once a week. There are, however, many steps that are important to ensure a good product of which one step is not less important than the other. This is noticeable in the meticulous schedule that Louis runs on his farm.
Louis does not have a chemical store on the farm. Werner Ras, from Novan Protecta, assists Louis with his chemical programme and they leave no chance for surprises. The chemicals that are sprayed on a particular day are only delivered to the field on that morning.
There is also no cold storage facility on the farm. Louis prides himself in his practise of having all the seed potatoes certified and inside the cold storage of a client within seven days after harvest or sooner. This is of course possible with the assistance of Potato Certification Service (PCS), who visits Louis every second day.
On the question of whether Louis would advise commercial producers to plant certified seed potatoes, he answered “For sure – You cannot expect to put a Jersey cow in a feed pen and then to slaughter a Charolais!”
Die Bayer Moerkweker 2019 is tydens die Bayer aandfunksie by die Aartappels Suid-Afrika Moerkweker Forum op 17 September by die Tsogo Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel in Kaapstad aangekondig.
Louis Claassen van die Louis Claassen Familie Trust, die wenner van hierdie gesiene toekenning, is ‘n moerkweker in die Wes-Vrystaat. Louis en sy familie het geen vorige ondervinding met die plant van aartappels gehad toe hulle in die 2014/2015-seisoen vir die eerste keer aartappels geplant het, en 56 hektaar vir moerproduksie onder die Skema ingeskryf het. Hy het die afgelope drie jaar gemiddeld 97 hektaar onder die Skema ingeskryf vir produksie vir Simba.
Louis reken dat die proses van ’n goeie kwaliteit eindproduk geheel en al te danke is aan ’n goeie span. Hy is baie trots op sy suiweringspan wat vanaf opkoms van die plante die lande een keer per week deurstap en sommige kere ook meer as een keer per week. Daar is wel baie stappe wat belangrik is ten einde ’n goeie produk te verseker. Stappe waarvan die een nie minder belangrik is as die ander nie. Dit is merkbaar uit die nougesette skedule wat Louis op sy plaas handhaaf.
Louis het nie ‘n gifstoor op die plaas nie. Werner Ras, van Novon Protecta, staan vir Louis baie goed by met sy chemiese program en hulle laat geen plek vir verrassings in die program nie. Die gifstowwe wat op ‘n bepaalde dag gespuit word, word op daardie oggend eers afgelaai.
Daar is ook nie ‘n koelkamer op die plaas nie. Louis roem hom daarop dat alle moere binne sewe dae of selfs gouer gesertifiseer is en binne die koelkamer is van die kliënt is. Dit is natuurlik moontlik met die hulp van Aartappelsertifiseringsdiens (ASD) wat elke tweede dag by Louis is.
Op ‘n vraag aan Louis of hy die plant van gesertifiseerde moere vir kommersiële produsente sal aanbeveel, was sy antwoord “Verseker – Jy moenie verwag om ’n Jersey-koei in ’n voerkraal te sit en dan ’n Charolais te slag nie!”
Released by the Communication Deparment of Potatoes South Africa/
Uitgereik deur die Kommunikasie Departement van Aartappels Suid-Afrika
Hanrie Greebe: hanrie@potatoes.co.za, (076) 116 7206
Mea Botha: communication@potatoes.co.za
Business Opportunities in the Agriculture Sector427 hits in the last 7 days
BREAKING NEWS544 hits in the last 7 days
About The Editor198 hits in the last 7 days
Harvest_SA @HarvestSA and the #AfricanAgriCouncil (AAC) invite you to attend the two day Agri-Food Tech & Innovation Summit (A… https://t.co/c3qab39wXs 4 days - reply - retweet - favorite
Harvest_SA #Award-winning South African #agritech company takes US market by storm https://t.co/6c2jND5CA5 #Agriculture… https://t.co/uTv6WjGeY4 13 days - reply - retweet - favorite
Harvest_SA #SolomonMasango, #VivianGosekwangPico and Matthews Senokwane were recently awarded #SAB’s “Maize Farmer of the Year… https://t.co/7t4NeALZlX 13 days - reply - retweet - favorite