It is full steam ahead for the Ncedisa farm workers as they spend the hot summer days out in the melon fields harvesting sweet juicy watermelons, spanspek and, green honey melons.

The watermelon, honey melon, and spanspek are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, and the fruits develop from the extremely fast-growing vines that grow close to the ground. What makes melon harvesting extremely challenging and laborious work is that fruits can only be harvested by hand using scissors or knives. Farmworkers must therefore bend down close to the ground to examine vines, then cut and harvest each fruit which is a relatively large size one by one.

Each melon is examined according to the colour of the rind and if the tendril and leaves around the stems are dying.  This examination shows if the plant is no longer feeding the fruit, it is mature and ready to be picked. For each melon to maintain freshness until it reaches the consumer, the fruit gets cut, leaving about 4cm of the stem on the fruit because this helps prevent rotting and spoiling.   Ncedisa teams tirelessly and carefully work through more than 700 hectares of ground vines covering lands beyond what the eye can see to harvest superior quality produce.

Knowing how much work goes into harvesting melons brings a new level of appreciation to the consumer. As South Africans, we delight in the flavours of the refreshing, juicy, and sweet melons that are also rich in Vitamin C and Vitamins A. Melons also have a wide variety of antioxidants, amino acids, and loads of phytonutrients lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to a decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, and age-related eye disorders.

Ncedisa works very closely with the Habata Farms in the Addo region of the Eastern Cape. Habata is the biggest producer of orange and green melons in South Africa and specialises in seedless watermelons. Habata delivers most of the harvest to major retailers for local consumption, and about 40% of the yield will be for international export.

Ncedisa plays an integral role in reaching the domestic and international harvest targets while picking, packing, and sorting the highest quality produce. Roughly 500 farm workers will be employed by Ncedisa during the summer harvest season to aid Habata farmers in optimising sustainable income with quality yields. In turn, having prosperous farms such as Habata plays a vital role in sustaining employment for the agricultural workforce in and around the Eastern Cape.

With Habata Agri being well known as the biggest producer of quality melons, employing an educated and skilled workforce is tantamount to their success. Ncedisa is therefore one of the leading agriculture workforce providers with the prerequisite skills and experience to assist an agriculture enterprise with various human resource services.