Vrymansfontein shows how almond farming thrives in South Africa

South Africa’s almond industry stands on the brink of a new era filled with growth and opportunity. With the country’s favourable climate and soil conditions, more farmers are beginning to cultivate these profitable nuts. The Vondeling Group, located in the scenic Paarl district, has decided to invest in this growing industry.

In 2020, the owners of the renowned Vondeling Wines secured a major contract with international cocoa traders to supply nuts to Lindt Chocolate. Four years later, the almond trees stand like thousands of little soldiers on the Vrymansfontein farm.

Almonds destined for export

The Vondeling Group primarily cultivates wine grapes, with the new almond farming venture covering 200 hectares of almonds, most of which are located on the Vrymansfontein farm.

Magnus Joubert, the Unit Manager of Vondeling Wines at Vrymansfontein, explains: “In 2025, we will harvest our first almond crop, which is primarily intended for the export market.”

Since they are growing a premium product, Magnus believes that the export market is the right choice. Although almond farming in South Africa has expanded significantly over the past five to six years, production on a large commercial scale is still relatively new. The local market is simply too price-sensitive, according to Magnus. Therefore, it makes sense for the Vondeling Group to export their nuts.

The almond orchards of Vrymansfontein, which will be harvested for the first time in the upcoming 2025 season.

Magnus expresses his optimism about the industry:

“Although you are heavily dependent on weather conditions, I am very excited about the almond industry. It is so enjoyable for me to see how many young, emerging farmers are also entering the agricultural sector, bringing a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm to drive things forward together.”

Dry summers and cold, wet winters make perfect conditions

Because almonds dry in the orchard, dry summers offer ideal growing conditions. With a limited canopy and relatively shallow but wide root systems, almonds are extremely water-sensitive. If the nuts receive rain week after week, the trees are prone to rot. Therefore, effective application and management are critical.

The trees need about 10 000 cubic metres of water per hectare per season.

The irrigation system mainly relies on rainwater and water from the mountain. They also use the Suid-Agter Paarl irrigation scheme to supplement their storage dams.

The irrigation that Magnus and his team are familiar with in the vineyards is less intensive than that for almonds, he believes. Therefore, they approached the Agrico team. They knew exactly what the requirements were according to their specific needs.

Magnus tells about their irrigation journey: “We have been doing business with Agrico for years, and I have come a long way with their designer, Gerrie van Zyl. The advantage of Agrico’s experts is that they are familiar with the area, which helped us a lot in setting up the system.”

“Here at Vrymansfontein, we have fairly heavy clay soil, so we established double-line drippers with 600 mm spacing (since heavy soil saturates fairly quickly) that deliver 1,6 litres per hour.

The efficiency of the drippers was the key factor at Vrymansfontein. With limited additional water supply, they need to manage water sparingly – something a drip system is designed to do.

“Drip irrigation gives us the best water usage with minimal water waste. We work at 9 000 to 11 000 cubic metres per hectare per block for optimal almond production in our area. Another advantage is the ability to place water precisely where it is needed. Our tree nutrients also go through our fertiliser system, which is applied by the drippers directly at the roots, where it is crucial.”

There are three storage dams at Vrymansfontein, mainly used for irrigating the almond orchards.

Smart water management using the latest technology

Magnus explains that they use the irrigation programme Irrigator to apply water automatically and on schedule. They also use Phytech, which, with the help of a weather station, assesses the trees’ water needs and monitors soil moisture, enabling informed decisions on water application.

The almonds at Vrymansfontein are watered twice a day in peak season. At 10:00 in the morning, three-fifths of the day’s water needs are supplied, and in the afternoon, the rest is given.

Magnus says: “The system is designed so that we can irrigate the entire farm within three shifts. We can cover up to 50 hectares per cycle, so after three cycles, all the almonds have been irrigated.”

Gerrie van Zyl of Agrico with Magnus Joubert, Unit Manager of Vondeling Wines on the farm, Vrymansfontein, outside Paarl.

Experts in the field with Agrico by their side

Magnus tells that it is great to work with experts in the field. “Because our systems are quite new, we had a lot to learn. Agrico designed the system very well from the beginning, based on expert advice that helped us set up the right pump systems and irrigation systems here.

“During the installation of the system, there was always someone from Agrico with the necessary knowledge present on-site. Even though we could not be on the farm every day ourselves, it gave us so much peace of mind to know that we were in good hands.

“With Agrico, we also know that we shall get the best products at the best prices. Everything works perfectly and is at the forefront of technology applicable to us. We truly have a good understanding with Agrico, and we look forward to what the future holds!”

The double-line drippers installed by Agrico at Vrymansfontein ensure that each almond tree gets exactly the right quantity of water at the right time.