Associate Consultants

Dr John Robinson - BSc;PhD

As a Senior Specialist Scientist at the ARC-ITSC, South Africa, Robinson conducted research on bananas from 1980 to 1998. He is internationally recognised as an expert in the field of banana technology and management. In 1998 he joined DuRoi Laboratory, a leading company in the supply of high-quality banana tissue culture plants worldwide, as Technical Director. He initiated a banana improvement programme by somaclonal variation, leading to the release of six improved, single clone selections of Cavendish banana. Robinson has written three banana textbooks, two chapters in international banana textbooks, and 38 scientific, refereed publications on banana horticulture and field physiology research. In 2006 he left DuRoi to become an independant international banana consultant.

Philip Lee - BSc (Agric); Pr. Sci. Nat.

A long time employee of Sapekoe (Pty) Ltd, Lee concluded his time with them as group manager responsible for 1170 ha of macadamias and coffee. After Chairing the Southern African Macadamia Association for two years, he became their first Executive Director. Under his leadership SAMAC grew in membership from 350 to 750. Lee is author of SAMAC’s Macadamia Growers Handbook and Factory Procedure Manual. He was appointed South Africa’s ambassador to the International Nut Council Foundation (INC) in 2001 and chaired the organising committee of the INC Congress in Cape Town in 2002. Philip is presently with Green Farms Nut Co, a leading South African macadamia processing and markting company, providing consultancy services to Macadamia producers throughout Africa.

  

Terry Pearse - BSc;MSc (Irrigation and Soils)
Pearse is an expert in the field of irrigation management and technology. He has had wide experience internationally, mainly in sugarcane agriculture, having worked for extended periods in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Jamaica. In recent years he has carried out sugar industry reviews, consultancies and feasibility studies throughout sub‑Saharan Africa.

  

Peter Caminada – BSc Agric (Hort); B Comm. Hons.

Caminada has been actively involved in horticulture for 27 years. He started his career at Mazowe Citrus Estates in Zimbabwe in 1980 and moved to Swaziland Irrigation Scheme in 1985 where he became general manager - citrus operations of the 650 hectare estate.  Returning to Zimbabwe in 1992 he established a comprehensive consultancy service for growers and nurserymen, and played a key role in the development of the emerging citrus industry. He was later appointed to the Zimbabwean Horticultural Promotion Council. His clients included the Commonwealth Development Corporation, Lonrho and USAID, Oceanic and Capespan. With the onset of the land acquisition programme in Zimbabwe , he joined Mitchell and Mitchell Fresh Exports in 2002, where he has been the General Manager of the Home Farms producing over 3000 tonnes of prepared vegetables annually for Tesco UK and Woolworths in SA . He has special expertise in the organic production of vegetables.

Peter (Ballie) Wahl – BSc; Pri.Sci.Nat.

Wahl has been involved in the Citrus Industry in South Africa for many years. After filling the role of extension officer for the SA Co-op Citrus Exchange, he became extensively involved in the development of new soft citrus cultivars and is an acknowledged international expert in this field. While with SACCE and later in as an independent consultant he has consulted widely in many countries including Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Egypt, China, Mauritius, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. He remains actively involved as technical consultant to many citrus growers in South Africa and to organisations such as Capespan, Citrogold and Colors fruit.

Allen Duncan - B Agric.Mgt

Allen Duncan and his family have been involved in the pineapple industry for many years. After a number of years practical pineapple farming experience on the family farm, Duncan became CEO of Summerpride Foods in the Eastern Cape. The company processed over 100,000 tons of fruit and some 70,000 tons were exported. Exports comprised canned product and pineapple juice concentrate, both frozen and aseptic juice concentrates. Dried and frozen pineapple products are also produced for local and export markets. The company is HACCP, BRC, EFSIS and SGF accredited, and all grower supplies were GlobalGAP accredited. Duncan has filled a number of leadership positions in the South African and International pineapple industry including chairmanship of the SA Pineapple Association and Pineapple Technical Work Group, and of the International Pineapple Work Group.

 

Bob Dunley-Owen - BSc Agric (Crop Science).

Bob Dunley-Owen has many years of hands-on experience in a wide range of subtropical agriculture. In his early years he developing a coffee estate in eastern Zimbabwe, and then moved on to become the advisory and research agronomist for a fertilizer company in South Africa. Moving back into practical farming, he then managed a large sugar and citrus estate in Natal, and later moved to the Mpumalanga region where for 15 years he managed a well known local company specialising in papaya production and marketing. While being an acknowledged expert in the papaya business, he also has much experience in other subtropical crops such as litchi and mangos.

 

Dawie Scholtz  M.Sc Agric; MBA

Scholtz has 20 years experience in the fruit industry. From product procurement for a large vegetable and fruit processing operation, he moved into fruit packing as General Manager of Stellenpak located in South Africa. Stellenpak, supplied by many growers, packs and distributes a product range including apples, pears, stone fruit, citrus and kiwis. Scholtz went on to establish the deciduous fruit business unit for Dole SA,  the second largest fruit exporter from South Africa. Scholtz is an expert in supply chain analysis. His extensive experience in packing and distribution of fresh fruit and the canning and juicing business positions him uniquely to consult in these areas of the fruit industry.

 

Steve Cowell    (B. Comp)

Cowell has 25 years of agri-business experience in many East and Southern African countries including Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. He has held senior executive positions with British and American multinational investors, including the Commonwealth Development Corporation, Lonrho PLC and Camellia PLC (Linton Park) and been involved in a number of mergers, acquisitions and change management projects. His speciality is financial systems and controls. Apart from citrus, avocados, pineapples, pecans and macadamias he has experience in sugar, livestock, tea, coffee, forestry, tobacco, maize, sunflower, dairy, jatropha and rice.