South African agri-business company Farmsecure has confirmed that it has acquired the ExperiCo division of Capespan, a transaction effective from 1 November 2011.
The sale of ExperiCo follows on from a major restructure of Capespan’s South African operations at the end of last year, as well as recent attempts by different shareholder groups to expand their position in the company as it focuses its attention on marketing and logistical services.
ExperiCo Fruit Technology Solutions specialises in commercial quality maintenance research involving harvesting, packaging and storing all fruit kinds destined for local and international markets, and has played an important role in fruit industry research in South Africa.
ExperiCo also commercialises innovative fruit-related technologies in collaboration with global clients, partners or investors. Farmsecure says all current ExperiCo staff, assets and facilities are included in the transaction.
According to a statement by Farmsecure, it has a vision to help create sustainability and profitability in agriculture and is involved in entire agricultural value chains from farming inputs, farming operations and the marketing of agricultural produce. It is active in the three main agricultural sectors of livestock, row crops and horticultural crops.
The Farmsecure Agri Science division focuses on empowering farmers with agricultural knowledge and precision farming skills.
'With the ExperiCo acquisition, Farmsecure Agri Science will extend its current pre-harvest service offering in the fruit sector through the addition of the post-harvest research and development services provided by ExperiCo,' the statement read.
Schalk Lubbe, CEO of Farmsecure Technologies, said that the group was delighted to welcome the ExperiCo team to the family: 'ExperiCo is a long-established and successful business, and we want to assure ExperiCo clients all around the world that we are fully committed to supporting and further strengthening the business.'
Dr Martin Taylor, general manager of ExperiCo, says loyal clients have helped to make ExperiCo the successful commercial research business it is today.
