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Showcase Organisation
The Hans Merensky Foundation
 In a brilliant career of close on 50 years of active field work, Dr. Hans Merensky achieved an international reputation as an outstanding analytical geologist.
His major discoveries of platinum, diamonds, chrome, gold and phosphate ores will be long remembered.
His conservation work, which made a lasting impact on his generation, will go on. And his dreams will be perpetuated through the Foundation bearing his name.
Dr Hans Merensky, born 16 March 1871, became a legend in his time. A famous prospector and geologist, humanitarian, devotee of nature, afforestation and agriculture and a visionary, he died on 21 October 1952.
By establishing a Trust, Dr Merensky hoped to combine the two things that were dearest to him: first, the assured continuation of his work, which involved the agricultural, horticultural and forestry operations on Westfalia Estate, so that the great strides he had made with water and soil conservation, the reclaiming and revitalising of the soil, and the welfare of his staff could be continued. Second, South Africans as a whole had to benefit from the activities of the Trust.
The Foundation was also to provide bursaries for the education and training of students, and grants and loans to individuals or institutions, to carry out research in a variety of fields ranging from agriculture and forestry, through animal husbandry, medicine, mining and engineering to industrial chemistry, and industry generally.
This was to be the heart of the Foundation - an instruction which the Trustees have carried out ever since.
OBJECTIVE OF THE HANS MERENSKY FOUNDATION
 The main objective of the Hans Merensky Foundation is to promote and assist in the development of the resources of South Africa and neighbouring territories - particularly such natural resources as soil, water, minerals, flora and fauna - and to promote the health and welfare of the inhabitants; more specifically by research, experiment and demonstration and through the correlation and application of scientific knowledge.
The Foundation annually makes a large investment in agricultural Research and Development. However, the foundation does not limit its investment to financial contributions, but actively involves itself in the transfer of knowledge to and the development of skills of all people at all levels employed by the Foundation. Success over the years has also been shared with other growers, thus carrying out Dr Merensky's will.
HM Farms are committed to a code of ethics, and not only do we farm in an environmentally friendly manner we also ensure that remuneration, working and living conditions on our farms are of the best in the industry.
Increasingly, the group of farms is employing organic or near-organic methods. The farms are continuously moving away from the use of chemicals and practice integrated farm management in the real sense.
Our farms are the largest grower of organically grown avocados in South Africa and the first organically grown mangos will be exported in 2002.
Due to the ethical stance of the Westfalia farms, organic status was granted by the EU auditors almost immediately. Westfalia has consistently achieved GAP and ISO 9002 accreditation within the EU since its first application in June 1991.
The technological service in place is unique in South Africa, if not the world. It is very rare to find companies which have a research service for more than short-term troubleshooting. The history of the Hans Merensky Foundation shows many instances where the survival of the avocado industry in South Africa, and the world, has been helped. It was one of the Merensky scientists who developed a unique way to cure avocado trees form Phytophthora root rot.
MERENSKY TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES
· Established in 1988.
· Privately funded, largely by the Hans Merensky Foundation.
· Applied research for H.M. Farms (± 1000 ha avocado / ± 500 ha mango), and worldwide contract research.
· Projects include research on new cultivars and rootstocks, disease and pest management, organic production, pruning, simulated export conditions etc.
· Nursery (avocado and mango), specialising in the production of superior plants, for local and export markets.
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