Verdant Orchards launched Verdant Produce in 2020: a citrus growing, packing, and global export business in Mozambique that is creating life changing impact for the local community and working toward compelling returns for investors.
Bringing Citrus To Life
A citrus growing, packing, and global export business in Mozambique creating life changing impact for the local community
A new beginning
About Verdant Produce
Verdant Produce will offer premium, counter seasonal citrus from its ideally located and resourced orchard in Mozambique.
Already the largest citrus orchard in Mozambique, Verdant Produce expects to lead the way in its citrus packing business in exporting to our partners’ existing customers in Europe, SE Asia and the Middle East. We’ll already creating life-changing impact for the local community and working toward compelling returns for investors.
This is the strongest team in the region led by a veteran of Verdant Frontiers as the CEO, who has over twenty years of agribusiness management experience throughout Africa, and two partners who market & export over 20,000 metric tons of citrus annually.
Citrus exports are big business
$4.54B
Global exports of Oranges
$3.10B
Global exports of Lemons and Limes
$690M
Global exports of Grapefruits
Our land is in a world-leading citrus producing region.
Massingir is in the geographic and climatic region that includes South Africa’s most successful citrus fields: Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Specifically, citrus grown in the Limpopo Valley where Massingir is leads the market in harvest typically four to six weeks prior to other parts of Southern Africa. This entire region is responsible for making South Africa:
#2
Globally in fresh Orange exports
#2
Globally in Lemon and Lime exports
#1
Globally in Grapefruit exports
Our Team
Bruce Hamilton
CEO
An Agriculture graduate with over 30 years of agricultural experience in Africa, Bruce has managed up to 10,000 staff, grown revenues, delivered profitability and managed large operations across several countries serving numerous markets internationally. Bruce is a partner at Verdant Frontiers Holdings.
James de la Fargue
COO + Partner
A former farmer and financier with over 30 years of agri-business experience in Africa, James setup and oversaw a 1,000 Ha (2,470 acres) seed and macadamia operation in Mozambique ($5M) and headed a multi-site pan African aquaculture business in Uganda, Zambia ($25M).
Tertius Strauss
General Manager
A partner in All About Fresh focusing on international business development, Tertius has previously been in Director positions for numerous African and Chinese firms including the Director of Global Outdoor Systems and Commercial Director of FedEx for Southern Africa.
Daniel Checo
HR Manager
A Mozambican national who came to us out of the gas industry in Mozambique and is well experienced in the field of Human Resources and Public Relations.
Hennie Prinsloo
Production Manager
Recruited from an Israeli company growing an array of vegetables including potatoes in South Sudan, Hennie has grown rice, maize, sorghum, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, sweet pepper, brinjal and watermelon. He has also farmed vegetables in Mozambique and South Africa for the past 25 years and has a deep knowledge of commercial production of potatoes.
Issufo Malaza
PR and Community Relations Manager
Has served as Secretary of the Organization, Mobilization and Advertising of the Mozambican Youth Organization (OJM) in the Massingir Sede Zone and is a Member of the OJM Provincial Committee in Gaza.
George Chakawaka
Finance Manager
An ex-Zimbabwean who has lived and worked in Mozambique for the past 20 years. He is experienced in finance management in the Mozambican context, is fluent in Portuguese and we believe that he will serve the business well in this role.
Bongani Manzi
Finance Director
Is a seasoned finance professional - a Chartered Accountant. He has served as the Group Manager Finance and General Manager Finance in a large group of companies in the forestry & agriculture sectors. He was responsible for a group of 10 companies across 4 African countries with a combined annual turnover of ~$1B.
Barry Hawke
Fractional CIO
With over 30 years in capital markets and 5 years of direct farming experience, Barry has spent significant time in hort crop cap raises across 15 companies in Africa and has engaged with over 60+ investors on African agri projects.
Hoppie Nel
EXCO Board Advisor
Based in South Africa, Hoppie has 30 years of experience in the fruit industry include large fruit enterprise management, leadership and marketing development as well as financial, business plan and viability study management.
Our Partners
Soleil Sitrus brings operational expertise and market connections.
- 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of citrus trees under management.
- Operational expertise as Soleil packs and exports 15,000 metric tons of citrus per annum.
- Their proximity to the farm and contextual experience makes them ideal partners.
All About Fresh is an experienced citrus marketer and Mozambican farm operator.
- Contribution of 1,250 acres (500 hectares) of land in exchange for equity in the company.
- Seasoned operators with proven agricultural success in Mozambique.
- Experience marketing up to 6,000 metric tons of citrus per annum.
Andisa AGRI is a pan-Africa agricultural consultant with citrus specialization.
- Experienced technical consultants in agricultural operations, specifically citrus.
- Dr. Hoppie Nel, a lead consultant and potential board member is a veteran in citrus production at the corporate level.
- Andisa has experience scaling commercial farms throughout Africa.
Social Impact
Verdant Produce will create
850 direct jobs and
life-changing impact.
Massingir has a unique problem: A national park was declared by the government and many thousands of families have been displaced out of the park into Massingir, without work or skills. Poverty has increased and prospects are dire. Research shows that 73% of residents in Massingir district still live in mud huts with no access to water and electricity.
Agriculture represents one of the best avenues to reduce poverty in Africa: poor households are overwhelmingly rural, living in areas where land and labor are abundant, but jobs are scarce. Families are in desperate need of dependable and decent work.
These new jobs are a necessary solution to enable the community to thrive. In addition to providing its workers an avenue to escape poverty, Massingir Citrus will help grow the local economy. We estimate that this increased economic activity will create over 1,200 indirect jobs.