Is this a glass white elephant?

Around R400 million was spent on state of the art, Dutch-built six metre high glass greenhouses covering 16 hectares at Dube TradePort’s Agrizone – and two thirds are empty.

Only one greenhouse is currently being used by father and son, David and Derrick Baird, who are growing cucumbers and herbs.

Baird said he was not in a position to speak to the Courier and that all communication had to come from Dube TradePort.

According to an article in the Farmers Weekly on March 27, 2013, Derrick Baird said he had signed a 15 year lease on 12 hectares of greenhouses in 2010 to grow tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Shortly after Agrizone started producing these vegetables, farmers around KZN complained that they could not compete with the large volumes of subsidised vegetables being produced at the Agrizone.

Farmers claimed that Agrizone was “flooding the market” with “subsidised produce” that should have been for the export market.

But the production did not last, as there are no more tomatoes or peppers.

Although the Agrizone website still speaks of private growers utilising the greenhouses for growing fresh produce and cut flowers, totalling more than 40 tonnes every week, the truth is somewhat different.

The tenant growing flowers in one of the greenhouses left in February 2014, apparently after suffering devastating financial losses which he did not wish to disclose.

Dube TradePort Corporation CEO, Saxen van Coller assured the Courier that tenants have been secured for the facilities.

“Dube TradePort is going through a handover process from previous tenants to new tenants. However, there are items that have lead times that are being finalised i.e. the tenants have to order plant material, purchase new equipment, employ staff, etc before they can occupy the facilities. We anticipate that they will take occupancy over the next few months when they have all the requirements to plant and the climate is conducive to planting as it is currently hot, making it unconducive for young plants. Hence we are sure that the greenhouses will return to 100% occupancy in the next few months.”

This statement has raised questions, as the greenhouses were equipped with the latest technology when they were built in 2011, allowing them to be cooled or heated as necessary.

The Dube TradePort website states that Agrizone is a ‘high-tech agricultural development and one which is host to the largest climate-controlled glass-covered growing area in Africa’.

The website boasts that the greenhouses have been bench marked against the world’s leaders in greenhouse technology and that they include highly sophisticated Priva climate control, a water re-circulation system for irrigation, heating and CO2 systems, a fogging system for humidity control and the provision of both screens and natural vents at the top of the structures, all apparently allowing improved climate control and optimal agricultural growing conditions.