TWK Agri acquired a significant interest in Sunshine Seedling Services and by doing so, Sunshine Seedling Services and TWK Agri will work together to provide a greater variety of products and services.

Sunshine Seedling Services will take over the operations of the TWK Nursery based in Piet Retief, and as a result will extend its reach into the Mpumalanga, Northern KwaZulu-Natal and Eswatini areas. The Piet Retief nursery will be focused on providing quality forestry seedlings. This partnership will bring synergies to the existing operations of both parties, providing existing customers with better service in the area and also providing TWK growers the opportunity to access new technologies.

Sunshine Seedling Services has its roots in humble beginnings starting as a small crop of vegetables in the valley and since its inception in 1982, Sunshine Seedling Services has flourished, expanding into a nursery yielding some of the highest quality timber and vegetable seedlings in South Africa with more than 130 years of combined practical and academic experience. Thanks to its qualified agriculturalists and well-established management team, Sunshine Seedling Services is a leader in the containerised seedling industry, producing over 50 million vegetable seedlings annually, as well as 10 million forestry clones, 7 million forestry seedlings and 4 million essential oil seedlings and clones.

With over 20 years’ experience in Eucalyptus clonal forestry, their focus over the last three years have seen several changes on the clonal side, with the demand for clonal wattle increasing significantly as field trials show an increase in disease and frost tolerance with increased yield.

“The new wattle clones are an exciting addition, as is the introduction of a new Eucalyptus variety (E.grandis x E.macarthurii) developed exclusively with TWK Agri to achieve profitable growth, good stem form, favourable wood properties, frost tolerance and good rootability. Trial results reflected that GMAC has good pulping qualities that fall within the norm for chip exports. The timber can also be utilised as mining timber or sawn timber, making it an incredibly exciting prospect and we look forward to ‘growing the business together’ in the years to come.” – Louise Johnson, TWK Agri Communication Officer.

Photos courtsey of TWK Agric