Nature of Business:

HYGROTECH markets value-added products in the total spectrum of the vegetable industry in South and Southern Africa as well as internationally. The company offers direct customer services and marketing opportunities from its Head Office and through its regional facilities in South Africa as well as subsidiaries in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique.

Dealing in high quality vegetable seed for all different vegetable crops HYGROTECH offers a full range of vegetable cultivars to small and large farming operations, subsistence farmers, food processors, and seedling nurseries.

A comprehensive range of water soluble fertilisers for crop and seedling productions, foliar nutrient products and a highly effective assortment of adjuvants enhancing the efficiency of these foliar nutrient , form part of the product basket. Adding speciality products like patented HYGROTECH seed trays, Hygromix growing medium for the seedling industry and a range of mechanical transplanters HYGROTECH comprehensively caters for all farming needs of its customers.

Operating in South Africa HYGROTECH and its staff are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between the needs of Africa and the technology of suppliers from the first world countries.

Company History:

Hygrotech Seed (Pty) Ltd was incorporated as a private company in January 1984 and has continued to show strong growth and diversifed activities. From a small start with three staff members, the company presently employs 228 people. South African market is serviced by HYGROTECH personnel based in three regional offices and 13 branches and depots located in all major agricultural centres.

Until 1999 the company Head Office operated from rented premises in Pretoria and then moved to new modern facilities encompassing some 422 square metres of offices, laboratories, seed conditioning, warehousing and manufacturing of non-seed products.

A fully fledged technical department has been created to provide back-up services to strengthen relationships with clients. Currently this group consists of twenty people, including four PhDs and a host of graduates in speciality fields.

In 1995 the company started extending its marketing and services outside South Africa's borders through newly established HYGROTECH International (Pty) Ltd. Majority owned subsidiaries, with local investor from each country, are succcessfully operating in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique. HYGROTECH has also vested interest in a seed and chemical distribution company in Australia.

Product Range:

Apart from marketing of the full range of vegetables species with great emphasis on specialty F1 hybrid varieties, the company is also dealing in an unique range of complementary and supplementary products many of which are formulated, manufactured and assembled in Pyramid, Bloemfontein, George and Stellenbosch.

The HYGROTECH range, which also includes a number of biological and organic products, consists of the following main groups:

SEEDLING GROWING SYSTEMS, which includes the patented HYGROVENT seed trays, HYGROMIX growing medium, Canadian peat, Vermiculite, STRYOSEAL seed tray sealer, specialty formulated seedling nutrient mixtures and hand operated and fully pneumatic automatic seeders. Organic spreaders, sticker and anti-transparents. Buffers, drift control, anti-foam and compatibility agents. Biological feeding stimulants, post harvest waxes and Trichoderma protection packages. Chemical bacteria, fungicides and agricultural adjuvants. Agricultural disinfectants for plants and poultry. Soluble nutrient mixtures, which include specialty foliar feeds, plant growth manipulators, hydroponics and seedling growing mixtures. Full range of knapsack spray pumps and accessories. Mechanical seeders, planters, transplanters and mulch layers.

The company also has a seed production division which contracts, grows, processes and treats a wide range of vegetable and field crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucurbits, garden peas, green beans, onion, leaks, carrot, beetroot, cabbage, maize, sorghum Sudan forage crops and field peas. The personnel of the division operate in Oudtshoorn and Bloemfontein from where contracting, technical advice, field inspections, seed cleaning and logistics are executed. A fully equipped Seed laboratory regulated by ISTA rules and situated in Pyramid head office monitors the seed purity, vigor and germination.

Hygrotech Mission Statement:

Satisfaction of our clients guarantees our existence.

Therefore we shall:

Continuously and pro-actively identify and evaluate the needs of all current and potential clients regarding vegetable seed, as well as related and supporting products, and to satisfy such needs within acceptable norms. Sell quality products, if possible on an exclusive basis, through trained and experienced staff, supported by systems and procedures acceptable to clients and HYGROTECH. Expand the market by recruiting and retaining quality clients in our market segment by way of goal-driven marketing, primarily based on direct selling. Offer our products at a competitive price to our clients assuring an acceptable growth and profit to HYGROTECH.

  Top

  Home