The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) has helped bring one of the world’s premier crops, rose geranium, to Keiskammahoek, an area about 40 kilometres south from King William’s Town.

The corporation, which funded the initial trials, provided a loan to a non-governmental organisation, the Siyakholwa Development Foundation (SDF), for the project’s commercial phase.

The first harvest and distillation comprising 10 hectares is to take place during June and July. The number of hectares is expected to grow three-fold by the end of this next season and up to a planned 80 hectares over the next few years.

SDF is being assisted by a commercial essential oil Limpopo-based farmer Henk Scheepers of The Herb Farm. He will transfer skills in plant prorogation, planting, spray programmes, harvesting and distillation of the plant material.

Scheepers and emerging farmers from the Keiskammahoek Valley have played a pivotal role in the project. He was part of the original trials; local farmers are participating in the commercial phase and are growing a hectare each.

With the crops ready for harvesting, it remains for the distillation plant to be erected, which arrived earlier this month. The aim of the distillation plant is to act as a processing and marketing hub for emerging farmers in the area.

The distillation process, which is no different to what has been used for centuries, adds significant value to the crop.

Farmers receive R500 per month as an advance for crop maintenance and a further R100 per ton with each hectare producing between 50 to 60 tons of biomass per season. They are able to earn up to R12 000 per annum per hectare. As yields and quality improve, so will their income.

The farmers are responsible for weeding and irrigation while SDF has provided all input costs such as land preparation, fertilizers, spray programmes, planting and rooted cuttings to the farmers.

Growing the crop is made even more appealing as it only requires replanting every four to five years so input costs are spread across this period.

Siyokholwa’s Brian du Plessis refers to the area’s distinct DNA for the crop: “It’s allows us to track sales of rose geranium from this area worldwide. Feedback is that it is of a very high quality which is due to the area’s climate and soil.”

The crop is to be sold to a Pretoria-based specialist company, Biosys Plant Extracts.

The ECDC is also to begin a similar project in Mthatha which will involve a youth group from the area. Funding for this project has been provided by the Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism.

ECDC project development manager Ken Bern says it is the second of a number of similar essential oil projects planned for this year.