Introducing Kromco

Join us on our journey and learn more about the Kromco business and its people.

Your Best Choice

Our focus is on delivering the best quality produce and is supported by state of the art facilities and internationally recognized accreditations.

Customer Focused

One of the Kromco values are “winning with people”, and we believe that our people are one of our strongest assets. We are proud of our 94% retention rate of seasonal employees, confirming that Kromco are also the best choice for our employees.

Winning With People

Our Values

We win with people.
We are focused on customers & producers.
We strive for continuous improvement.
We do the right thing.
We enjoy our work.

About Us

Kromco is one of the largest deciduous fruit packing facilities in South Africa and is situated in the Elgin/Grabouw area about 60km from Cape Town International Airport. We specialise in the packing, grading, storage and marketing of quality apples and pears for both the local and international markets. The Kromco brand is well recognised and respected in the global fruit industry.

Kromco is 100% owned and supplied by producers from the Elgin, Grabouw and Villiersdorp areas. We are seen as an extension of the farm, with the primary goal of doing the best for our producers to ensure sustainable Production/Supply.

In order to achieve the best returns for our growers, Kromco focuses on delivering a consistent top quality product to our global customers, which is made possible by a world-class facility, a passionate management team and an experienced labour force. Kromco`s dedicated marketing team believes in long term relationships in the market together with supplying the right product, at the right time, and the right quality for a specific market.

Kromco`s facility includes some of the latest presorting technology available for apples, allowing for better consistency. All storage, grading, packing, marketing and distribution of fruit happens on the same production site, together with all supporting functional departments, allowing for more flexibility.

One site, one team, one goal!

YEARS

COUNTRIES

CONTINENTS

PERMANENT EMPLOYEES

SEASONAL EMPLOYEES

Our Growers

Breëvlei

Champagne (Kleine Heidepan)

Champagne is part of Kleine Heidepan Farms CC, and the family has owned it for almost 50 years. The farm had humble beginnings, starting by growing wheat, oats and onions, and later apples, peaches and plums. Today their focus is on pears and apples, and they are very positive about the future.

They also take part in the Shine Development Project, where the workers are trained in soft skills and are supported and mentored to improve the quality of their lives. Some of their permanent employees have been empowered through the Two-a-Day Farmworkers' Trust and are shareholders in a fruit farm in the Elgin Valley.

Main Cultivars: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Royal Gala & Royal Beaut.

Croft & Sanctum

Nestled on elevated slopes in the idyllic Elgin Valley, CROFT Farm is a 32 ha farm dedicated to export quality apple and pear varieties. Our sustainable farming practices aim to produce the healthiest fruit nature can grow. Our latest addition, SANCTUM, comprises impressive expansion potential, with 17 ha currently dedicated to commercial apple orchards and vines.

Main Cultivars: Royal Gala; Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Cripp's Pink; Packham’s Triumph

Damar Boerdery Trust

Damar has been owned since 1970 by the Van der Merwe family. The farm initially started as a vegetable and wine-grape farm, Pierre began to plant apples in 1968, and today it boasts a 73-hectare apple and pear farm. The farm is situated in die Vyeboom region just 20km from Grabouw, next to the Sonderendriver.

Main Cultivars: Golden Delicious, Packham’s Triumph, Cripp's Pink, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Royal Gala, Williams Bon Chretien & Forelle.

Deepdale Farm

Riverside was purchased in 1944, developed under the open V and Drip Irrigation system. The crop consists mostly of bi-coloured apples and pears. The managing partner is Neil Jackson.

Deepdale farm was bought in 1948 by GP Hutton-Squire, father of the present owner JL Hutton-Squire. It has been fully planted with the latest varieties of pears and plums. Solberge Farm was bought in 2005 and is adjacent to Deepdale. This is principally a Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Packham’s Triumph farm with room for more orchards.

Southfield was purchased in 1986 and managed by MR Hutton-Squire until his accidental death in 2006. It is now managed together with Riverside farm.

Main Cultivars: Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Fuji, Packham’s Triumph, Braeburn, Cripp's Pink, Golden Russet Bosc, Sundowner & Abate Fetel.

De Rust Estate (Pty) Ltd.

De Rust Estate is a fruit and vine farm acquired by Matthys de Villiers in 1896. The first apple orchards were planted in 1948 by Gertrud Clüver, and today there are 148 hectares under apple and pear production managed by the 4th generation of the Clüver family. The first vines were planted in 1986 which today produces wine from 82 hectares.

Dr P de V Clüver is a founder member and director of Kromco and has been chairman since 1994 until 2010.

At present, there is 1200 ha under a bio-diversity protection program, and the game has also been re-introduced on the undeveloped part of the farm. It was the first farm in South Africa to pilot Integrated Pest Management.

Mindful of their ability to contribute to society, the family has founded and continues to mentor two schools and the Thandi empowerment project.

Main Cultivars: Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Royal Gala, Granny Smith, Packham’s Triumph, Cripp's Pink, Sundowner, Top Red, Rosemarie & Forelle.

Glen Brae (Witvlei Apple Farms)

Karweyderskraal

Tucked away in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley lies Karweyderskraal Farm – a hidden gem owned by FJP Lötter since 1994. The farm oozes character with cattle, horses and sheep roaming the paddocks, lush orchards producing the most magnificent crops grown with the highest standards and majestic Fynbos species covering most of this 704Ha farm.

Cultivars Produced: Packham’s Truimph, Rosemarie, Forelle, Royal Beaut, Braeburn, Fuji, Granny Smith, Cripps Pink and Cripps Red

Monteith Trust

The name Monteith is derived from Lake Monteith in Scotland. The first owners were Scottish immigrants (McFarlane) who established themselves as farmers in the area during the latter half of the 19th century. At that time this area was mostly dedicated to sheep and wheat farming.

At the turn of the century, the first Erwee bought Monteith Farm and carried on with sheep and wheat farming. Subsequently, vegetables were introduced as a cash crop and in 1935 deciduous fruit, at first only apples, were produced.

Jurie Erwee, the third generation, joined his father on the farm in 1949 after completing his studies at Stellenbosch. During his working life massive expansion as regards, deciduous fruit cultivation was undertaken and sheep and wheat farming were discontinued.

During 1971 he became a founder member of Kromco with an output of 5 000 bins which in time grew to 50 000 bins. Today Monteith Trust remains one of the five biggest members of Kromco and continue to produce quality fruit for the world market.

The fourth generation under the leadership of Andries Erwee now leads Monteith Trust and Kromco into the realities of globalisation and the politics of the world fruit market.

Main Cultivars: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Packham's Triumph, Royal Gala, Top Red, Cripp's Pink & Fuji.

Môreson (Villion Trust)

The Villion Trust, also known as “Môreson”, was bought in 1942 by their grandfather, Willem Viljoen, from their Great Grandfather, after which their Dad, Roelie, took over in 1983. The farm is situated about 7km from Grabouw and only 8km from Kromco, where they pack their fruit.

Main Cultivars: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Top Red, Royal Gala, Starking, Cripp's Pink, Fuji & Packam's Triumph.

Norham Kaapschon Boerdery

Kaapschon Boerdery (Pty) Ltd purchased the farms Marham and Dewhurst from Theewaterskloof Holdings (Pty) Ltd on 1 October 2004. Joseph Hendricks is the sole director, and the Joseph Hendricks Family Trust holds 100% of the shares (100% black-owned company). Total hectares available for cultivation is 90.75ha and currently, 80.75ha is planted.

Main Cultivars: Cripps Pink, Braeburn, Royal Gala, Top Red, Granny Smith, Packham’s, Triumph, Sundowner, Golden Delicious, Starking & Williams Bon Chretien.

VD Berg Boerdery CC

The Van Den Berg’s grandfather bought the farm, Ebenhaezer, in 1937. Farming in the early days consists of vegetables, peaches and dairy cows. The first apple orchard was planted in 1962 and another fruit farm, Bessie Bosch, were bought in 2013. Today the third generation is managing 96 hectares of apple and pear orchards. The farms are situated in the Vyeboom region, 23km from Kromco.

Main cultivars: Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Packham’s Triumph, Fuji, Granny Smith, Cripps Pink and Sundowner

Our People

Kromco currently employs more than 404 permanent staff and provide seasonal employment of an additional 537 people from the surrounding areas. One of the main values of Kromco is to win with people and we believe that our people are one of our biggest assets. We are proud of our 94% retention rate of seasonal employees, confirming that Kromco are also the Best Choice for our people.

OUR TEAM