Sharing and recognising our partner success.
Under the watchful eye of Andy Pereira, Laeveld Agrochem Louis Trichardt is an Andermatt Madumbi Champion Depot and the recipient of the 2020 Green Jersey Award within the LAC distribution network.
Andy’s journey with Laeveld Agrochem goes back all the way to 1998, as one of the earliest employed members of the company. Originally based in Nelspruit, Andy and his wife Marthmary were given the opportunity to start up a new depot in Louis Trichardt in 2000 and have never looked back. Andy, Marthmary and their team now have a well-established depot with a regular and growing clientele in the region.
Andy’s main focus is on citrus, followed by macadamia nuts. The local conditions in Andy’s area are too hot for the traditional Navel variety, so the focus is on lemons, grapefruit, Valencia oranges and a minimal amount of the mandarin variety, which cover approximately 2 500 ha. There are also 5 000 ha of macadamias and 3 000 ha of avocadoes grown in the larger area.
During the 2020 season, Andy achieved and exceeded his Madumbi budget. This was largely due to exceptionally good sales on citrus orchards, where both Cryptex® and Blackout® dominated sales from the Andermatt Madumbi portfolio of products.
Other products that contributed to his basket of sales included Eco-Bb® as well as root health focus products: Eco-T®, RhizoVital 42®, AgriSil K50®, V12 Initiate, Humates and Fulvics.
Xander van der Walt, Wilma Mac Pherson, Andy Pereira
Andy believes that the key to success in this industry is relationships. These are developed over time and through many seasons, both the good and the bad. Communities form the backbone of small agricultural towns such as Louis Trichardt, with everyone looking out for one another. On my trip to visit Andy and in discussions with his team it became very clear that those around him value relationships just as much, and he certainly is a ‘stalwart’ figure both within Laeveld Agrochem and in his farming community at large.
Over the past 5 years, the relationship between Andy and the Andermatt Madumbi team has grown. Wilma Mac Pherson oversees the Northern regions of the country. Her expertise on biological solutions, combined with Andy’s extensive knowledge of his area and his proactive approach has resulted in the region achieving good growth and export quality yields.
Andy describes ‘business’ as being tough, always. The extreme climatic conditions in the area are just one of the regular hurdles, but over the years, agriculture has developed and the industry has grown. Water is often scarce, and many orchards are old, having been in production for decades. Input costs are high, and growers’ belts are being pulled tighter by the year. The competition is also growing steadily, with growers being visited daily by new companies, introducing new and different solutions.
What keeps Andy and his team ahead? His experience, the expertise supplied in the form of technical assistance from suppliers like Andermatt Madumbi, and the trust he has built with farmers over the years.
The Andermatt Madumbi team would like to acknowledge and congratulate Andy on being the recipient of the Green Jersey Award.
We value your support and are proud to be growing the footprint of biological solutions in your area. Keep up the great work and thank you for all the support and counsel you extend to your growers on our solutions.