The Landmangroup makes its mark in the Sandveld.

The Landmangroup, situated in Hoedspruit, is where Tommie and his son Duo Landman focus on citrus and mango farming, trading under the name Landman Fresh Products. In 2012 another of Tommie’s sons, Dirk joined the family business.  In 2015 Dirk moved to Ohrigstad to establish a naartjie extension for the Group.

After three successful years, Dirk relocated to the farm Uitvlugt, outside Piketberg, to focus on potatoes and the establishment of export almonds.

The Sandveld is the largest potato producing area in the Western Cape. The sandy soil conditions in this region contribute to the production of an attractive and clean potato.

Prior to planting, soil samples were taken on the farm. Using the results of these soil samples, together with the regional historical data, Takkies Reitz from Nexus assisted the farm with technical advice and fertilisation programs.  Thorough planning forms the base of any successful production season.

The fertilisation program in this area, usually starts with Atlantic Fertilisers’ Bio Enrich 7.7.7(21).

Dirk’s experience with this product is that the crop reacts extremely well to it during the start-up phase. “Potatoes take a while to sprout and using a semi-organic product, with reduced leaching properties, ensures that the nutrients are readily available to the plant throughout the growing cycle,” says Dirk. The ease of application is also an important factor when choosing this product.

The harvest season will commence on 15 September and will end in April 2021. The biggest challenge is still the potato price and production costs. Amongst the future plans on Uitvlugt is the usage of the sub-standard potatoes as fodder in their feedlots.