Publications
Partners
Mbombela - An international company is all set to harvest green tea leaves in Barberton to extract powerful anti-oxidants that help treat diseases such as cancer, malaria and heart disease.
Botanical extraction company Plandai Biotechnology announced that farming had resumed at the ailing Senteeko tea estate, with commercial production expected to begin in November.
"The project is the first botanical extraction business in South Africa addressing the issues of unprofitable tea estates and making them more viable through the harvesting of fresh green tea leaf,” said Plandai chief executive Roger Duffield.
He said the company would extract a bio-available green tea gallate catechin extract.
The operation will be managed by Plandai’s African operating arm, Roman Dunn Holdings.
“The extract will be exclusively sold by Plandai as an ingredient for the beverage and wellness industries and will bring a potentially life-saving product to the market,” Duffield said.
A trained labour force of 400 employees will be able to hand-pick an initial 350ha of tea bushes every 30 days.
New Senteeko estate manager Andrew Loughor-Clarke, who has almost 50 years experience in agribusiness, said the farm had received a R100m loan from the Land Bank.
Botanical extraction company Plandai Biotechnology announced that farming had resumed at the ailing Senteeko tea estate, with commercial production expected to begin in November.
"The project is the first botanical extraction business in South Africa addressing the issues of unprofitable tea estates and making them more viable through the harvesting of fresh green tea leaf,” said Plandai chief executive Roger Duffield.
He said the company would extract a bio-available green tea gallate catechin extract.
The operation will be managed by Plandai’s African operating arm, Roman Dunn Holdings.
“The extract will be exclusively sold by Plandai as an ingredient for the beverage and wellness industries and will bring a potentially life-saving product to the market,” Duffield said.
A trained labour force of 400 employees will be able to hand-pick an initial 350ha of tea bushes every 30 days.
New Senteeko estate manager Andrew Loughor-Clarke, who has almost 50 years experience in agribusiness, said the farm had received a R100m loan from the Land Bank.
