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Tuesday, 17 June 2008 07:49 |
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South Africa is famous for its Rooibos (red bush) tea, yet is ironically less well-known for its Honeybush tea. This unique plant brews a beverage with a delicate aroma of fresh flowers and a tender taste of wild-grown honey.
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Ericaville and Haarlem are two of the most impoverished communities in the Western Cape of South Africa. With unemployment levels as high as 80 percent, generations of people have wild-harvested Honeybush to supplement their meagre incomes
Honeybush was originally used as a household product, but increased commercial demand forced harvesters to move deeper into forests and higher up mountains to secure stocks. Despite often hazardous conditions, long hours and rapidly depleting natural stores, harvesters were still unable to collect sufficient quantities - sometimes only able to sell plants for a mere 50 cents a kilogram!
In 2000, with funds from the South African Department of Economics and the National Development Agency (NDA), ASNAPP assisted the community members of Haarlem in setting up Honeybush plantations - a move that not only ensures a steady income for the community, but the conservation of natural stocks. This opportunity to cultivate Honeybush has not only allowed them to take pride in their work, but has brought hope to these economically disadvantaged folk.
Honeybush plantations
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Honeybush plantations
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Evelyn Thysse (whom the locals fondly refer to as Aunt Evelyn), has been running the Haarlem seedling nursery since 1999. In 2002 she was named Top Producer in the Informal Market sector and later, second runner-up in the National Markets category. Aunt Evelyn currently represents rural growers on the management board of the South African Honeybush Tea Association. In 2001, the Ericaville community looked over, and seeing how well the Haarlem community was doing, decided to apply for funds to start their own plantation. They were granted funds and with the capacity building provided by ASNAPP, sold their first harvest in 2003. In a complete contrast to previous sales of wild-harvested Honeybush, Ericaville sold 10 tonnes of Honeybush tea for close to R 25 000. This money has been ploughed back into the land, and the initial five hectares has grown to 15 hectares! And, with buyers already lining up, there is no doubt that the prospects of this Honeybush plantation are only going to get sweeter. .
Cultivating Honeybush
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Cultivating Honeybush
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