Alhambra Estate – one of the flagship apple and pear estates in the Witzenberg Properties stable – excelled by winning the chairman’s trophy for the best general performance of 2025 at Ceres Fruit Growers’ 42nd prestigious annual harvest awards.
While this marks the eleventh time Witzenberg Properties has lifted the chairman’s trophy, it is only the second time that Alhambra has achieved this honour (under the auspices of Witzenberg Properties). The estate also secured the Bronaar trophy for the best performance with full red apples and the GKE trophy for the best performance with Kanzi.
In congratulating the team, Pieter Graaff, proprietor of Witzenberg Properties, emphasised that reaching this milestone was the result of an exceptional collective effort.
“It takes years to build a farm to a certain standard. We acquired Alhambra about seventeen years ago and replanted every orchard, ensuring that the estate could realise its full potential.”
Herman Botha, estate manager at Alhambra, attributes the apple, pear, cherry, and wine grape farm’s success to its unique location and climate on the slopes of the Matroosberg mountains.
“During the 2025 season we had enough water, a good winter with sufficient chill units, and a great growing season. Although it was a big crop, we were fortunate that everything ripened on time, avoiding bottlenecks during the harvest.”
He also applauded the management and agri-workers at Alhambra for their dedication.
“We believe in doing everything timely and correctly, whether it is applying fertiliser, irrigation, or harvesting. We have an excellent team, and everyone who works here loves the farm and knows we all work together toward the same goal,” says Botha.
Witzenberg Properties excelled during the award ceremony, with its estates Leeuwenfontein, Die Eike, Dennekruin, and Esperanto all taking silverware home. They were, respectively, awarded the Umzumaai trophy for the best performance with Bon Chretien pears, the Laastedrift trophy for the best performance with Mahana Red apples, the Tru-Cape trophy for the best performance with Fuji apples, and the APL trophy for the best performance with Panorama Golden apples.
“We can only be grateful,” says Tommie Prins, production director at Witzenberg Properties. He explains that the past production season was excellent in terms of both yield and quality. The markets and prices were also favourable.
“It requires hard work and commitment, but I am incredibly proud of Witzenberg Properties’ management team, as I know how much effort they put into the orchards. Every year, we aim to increase the amount of class 1 fruit on the tree by doing the basics right, but also through practices such as pruning, thinning, and the use of nets. When establishing new orchards, we plant new and improved varieties on modern rootstocks to further strengthen and enhance fruit quality.”
Excellent year for Ceres
Frederick Odendaal, manager of producer services at Ceres Fruit Growers, described the 2025 season as “blessed”.
“It was one of the best seasons for apples and pears yet in the Ceres area. With over 13 270 tonnes of Forelle pears packed at Ceres Fruit Growers as well as outstanding colour development of Pink Lady and Mahana Red, our producers’ performances were absolutely outstanding.”
Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the marketing and distribution arm of Ceres Fruit Growers, congratulated the producers on their exceptional achievements at this year’s harvest awards.
“Winning these respected awards is a testament to the consistent excellence delivered by our growers. Their accomplishments reflect exceptional orchard management and a relentless commitment to growing world-class apples and pears.”
Pienaar added that the achievements highlight the strength of Tru-Cape’s grower community and the remarkable 2025 season celebrated by Ceres Fruit Growers.
“Your hard work underpins the quality that Tru-Cape takes to consumers around the globe, and we salute every team that contributed to this year’s outstanding results,” he said.
Acknowledging greatness since 1982
Ceres Fruit Growers has been awarding the harvest trophies annually since 1982, with the exception of one year during the covid-19 pandemic. The awards aim to not only encourage growers to produce apples and pears of the highest quality but also to acknowledge the excellence of the management teams on the various farms. Originally, only seven trophies were awarded, but over time this has expanded to 21 trophies. Winners are determined by a formula that takes fruit size, price per tonne, class 1 packouts, and other quality criteria into account.
This year, forty farms across 2 850 hectares in the greater Ceres region, including the Warm Bokkeveld, the Witzenberg Valley, the Koue Bokkeveld, and Bo-Swaarmoed, were considered for the top honours. Ceres Fruit Growers, wholly owned by its growers, is one of the largest fruit packers in the area.
Nic Dicey, a stone and pome fruit farmer from Wolseley who has served the fruit industry for decades as chairperson of Hortgro as well as of the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA), and Dricus Greeff, outgoing managing director at APL Cartons, received special mentions on the evening for their contributions to the industry.
Full list of trophy winners:
- Umzumaai trophy for best performance with Bon Chretien: Witzenberg Properties (Leeuwenfontein)
- Izak Hanekom trophy for best performance with Abate Fetel: Welgemeen Boerdery (Welgemeen)
- Culdevco trophy for best performance with Cheeky: PJ Möller Jnr BK (De Vlakte)
- Goosen Boerdery trophy for best performance with Forelle: Eselfontein Boerdery (Eselfontein)
- Morceaux trophy for best performance with Packham’s Triumph: Rietvlei Fruit Farming (Rietvlei)
- Dennekruin trophy for best performance with Rosemarie: Eselfontein Boerdery (Eselfontein)
- Laastedrif trophy for best performance with Mahana Red: Witzenberg Properties (Die Eike)
- Tru-Cape trophy for best performance with Fuji: Witzenberg Properties (Dennekruin)
- Lakenvlei trophy for the best performance with Golden Delicious: Sun Sweet Fruit (Waterkloof)
- Môrester Houdenbek trophy for the best performance with Granny Smith: Eselfontein Boerdery (Eselfontein)
- GKE trophy for best performance with Kanzi: Witzenberg Properties (Alhambra)
- APL Cartons trophy for best performance with Panorama Golden: Witzenberg Properties (Esperanto)
- Die Eike trophy for best performance with Royal Gala Red: Welgemeen Boerdery (Welgemeen)
- RM Zulch trophy for best performance with Royal Beaut: Laastedrif Agri (Kleinvlakte)
- Buks Nel trophy for best performance with BigBucks Gala: Laastedrif Agri (Uitkoms)
- Esperanto trophy for best performance with Rosy Glow: Laastedrif Agri (Laastedrif)
- Bronaar trophy for best performance with Full Red: Witzenberg Properties (Alhambra)
- Management award for best harvest forecast: Rhodene Agri (Rhodene)
- Tru-Cape trophy for best performance with gross farming income per hectare for pears: Eselfontein Boerdery
- Tru-Cape trophy for best performance with gross farming income per hectare for apples: Cedro-boerdery (Erfdeel 2)
- Chairman’s trophy for best overall performance: Witzenberg Properties (Alhambra)
