Agricultural Tours

Sugar plantation

Eshowe is a major sugarcane growing area, from which the local farmers supply the Huletts mill at Amatikulu. However, many of the farmers are now diversifying into avocados, timber, proteas, bananas, proteas, oils, macadamias, tomatoes & vegetables. Besides sugar, the Nkwaleni Valley is famous for its grapefruit, oranges and lemons. We will take you around and show you agriculture in this area. You can meet the farmers and inspect some of the huge citrus packhouses in the area, as well as a sophisticated frozen juice factory.

We can tailor make these tours to fit in with the seasons and clients requirements.

Eshowe Agricultural Adventures.

Contact: Graham Chennells. 0606658833. Email info@eshowe.com. Tours will happen monthly on the second Wednesday and Thursday of each month and the itinerary will depend on which crops are most interesting to visit at that time. Total cost R3000 pp which includes all costs of accommodation, meals and the Tour. (includes Booze voucher of R300). Minimum of 10 on tour.

Eshowe “A City set on a Hill ” has been primarily built on agriculture and specifically sugar cane. However over the last 20 years there has been a significant shift to other more intensive crops. We would like to expose city dwellers to farming life in this area and to meet local farming folk who have facinating tales to tell of their families and progress towards a new agricultural future in this fertile area of Zululand. The types of farming taking place now are Sugar cane, fruits like Citrus in the Nkwaleni Valley.(Oranges, lemons & Grapefruit), Acocado’s, Proteas, Macadamia’s, Oils, Banana’s and Vegetables like tomatoes, cabbages and pumpkins in the Eshowe area. Macadamia nuts are now the favourite new crop in Ntumeni and Eshowe. Then there is cattle breeding and cattle fattening projects at Ntumeni. Flowers like Proteas are new and prospering crops in Eshowe. A coffee project is also underway here. There are large packing Factories for Citrus, Avo and Macadamia exports…all facinating to checkout.

Our plan is to expose you to farming life in this area of Zululand. The basic idea is for you to spend two nights and two days in Eshowe at Sugar Hill Manor Guesthouse. Arrive in Eshowe on Wenesday at 9am in your 4×4 and off load your luggage. A little Eshowe made Coffee and introduction before we set off to visit our first farm. We will do a 1 1/2 hour farm tour where we will inspect the field / factory operation and hear first hand about the particular crop that we have seen. We will have a farm picnic and mix with farm staff/owners.The afternoon will be another farm visit with tea and scones and return to our lodgings for a little break. The evening will be a little entertainment at The George Hotel where we can try a local Craft Beer and the briefly hear the Zulu Blonde story. We will have dinner at The George Hotel.

The following day will be a morning farm tour until a late lunch when we will have a long lazy lunch with Bill Budd of Legends fame.

Citrus packhouse

I have farmed sugar, timber and vegetables and I am pretty well versed in agricultural matters. And whatever I don’t know,  I can find someone who does!!