Evergreen Valley Avocado Estates — Operations Plan
The farm will employ both permanent and seasonal staff, with significant employment creation during the harvest season.
Section 12 · Business Plan
Operations Plan
The farm will employ both permanent and seasonal staff, with significant employment creation during the harvest season.
12.1 Annual Farming Calendar
| Month | Primary Activities |
|---|---|
| January–February | Fertilisation programme; pest and disease monitoring; canopy management |
| March | Early harvest commences (Fuerte); irrigation scheduling review |
| April–May | Main harvest season begins; Hass and Maluma picking; packhouse deliveries |
| June–August | Peak harvest period; quality monitoring; soil sampling for next season |
| September | Late-season harvest completion; post-harvest orchard clean-up |
| October–November | Pruning and canopy management; soil amelioration; new tree planting |
| December | Irrigation system maintenance; infrastructure repairs; annual planning |
12.2 Labour Requirements
The farm will employ both permanent and seasonal staff, with significant employment creation during the harvest season.
| Category | Number | Period | Annual Cost (R’000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Manager | 1 | Permanent | 720 |
| Section Supervisors | 4 | Permanent | 1,440 |
| Irrigation Technician | 2 | Permanent | 600 |
| General Farm Workers | 30 | Permanent | 3,600 |
| Seasonal Harvest Workers | 80–120 | March–September (7 months) | 2,800 |
| Administrative Staff | 3 | Permanent | 720 |
| Security | 6 | Permanent | 720 |
| TOTAL (estimated) | 126–166 | 10,600 |
12.3 Supply Chain and Logistics
Harvested fruit will be transported from the farm to contracted packhouses within 24 hours of picking, using refrigerated transport to maintain cold-chain integrity. The farm will operate its own fleet of two refrigerated trucks (8-ton capacity each) for daily packhouse deliveries during the harvest season. Packhouses are located within 30–50km of the farm, ensuring minimal transit time and optimal fruit quality.
12.4 Technology and Precision Agriculture
The farm will implement a suite of precision agriculture technologies to optimise production efficiency:
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IoT soil moisture sensors across all orchard blocks for real-time irrigation management
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Weather station network (3 stations) for microclimate monitoring and frost prediction
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Drone-based aerial surveys for canopy health assessment and pest detection
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Farm management software for production recording, cost tracking, and compliance management
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GPS-guided tractors and sprayers for precision application of inputs
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