Chicory

Introduction

Chicory (Cichorium intybus), a member of the sunflower family, produces a large tapered root which has been used for many years for its beneficial effect on the human digestive system (the health benefits of chicory were documented on the website www.chicory.co.za). It grows for seven or eight months before being harvested and defoliated.

Roots of chicory are dried, ground and used as a coffee substitute or supplement. Chicory is also widely used in beverages as a blend with coffee and as an ingredient in pet food and breakfast cereals. Chicory endives can also be used in salads.

Chicory was first introduced into South Africa for commercial use in 1895 in the Alexandria area in the Eastern Cape. Until recently (see MacLennan article, 2024) the bulk of South Africa’s chicory was still grown here. It was also grown in the Southwell and Bathurst areas and, under irrigation, in the Gamtoos and Sundays river valleys. The chicory industry used to be a major employer in the area.

South Africa produced 18 000 to 20 000 tons of chicory a year. Chicory SA in Alexandria bought harvested chicory root from farmers, dried, roasted and sold it to companies such as Nestlé International in KwaZulu-Natal and National Brands in Johannesburg for the production of blended coffee and chicory beverages.

Local business environment

  • Chicory is traditionally a rainfed crop with the best yields coming from along the coast. The changing weather patterns of the past years saw an increase of irrigation being used.
  • The production of chicory is labour-intensive (manual weed control and harvesting), and labour costs account for a large part of the input costs.
  • Chicory was grown under contract to Chicory SA.
  • There was no restriction on chicory being imported. Particularly when the rand was strong, imports were identified as a threat to the industry.
  • Despite the numbers of producers decreasing over the past years, improved technology and management kept the volume of chicory produced in South Africa at the same level. Increasing imports though kept forcing the volume down.
  • 2024 has seen Chicory SA closing down.

National strategy and government contact

The development in the chicory industry fitted into what was aimed for in the National Development Plan and the target of one million jobs for the agriculture and the agro-processing sector. It featured in the Industrial Action Policy Plans (IPAPs) of the then Department of Trade & Industry (the dti). The 2017/18-2019/20 IPAP document reported on what was seen as a long-term commitment between role players like Nestlé and the dti to curb imports and promote local procurement in South Africa.

Find the Agricultural Product Standards Act (119/1990), Regulations relating to coffee, chicory and related products intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa at www.foodfocus.co.za/home/Legislation/Food-Safety/R1154-REGULATIONS-RELATING-TO-COFFEE-CHICORY-AND-RELATED-PRODUCTS-INTENDED-FOR-SALE-IN-THE-REPUBLIC-OF-SOUTH-AFRICA-30-OCTOBER-2020

Role players

Note: Click to expand the headings below.  To get a free listing on our website like the ones below, visit here for more information or place your order here. Disclaimer: The role player listings are not vetted by this website.

 
LC Packaging Goudkop – http://lcpackaging.co.za
Chicory SA Limited – https://chicory.co.za Chicory SA Limited is based in the Eastern Cape, its products are marketed to manufacturers and consumers in South Africa and internationally. Chicory SA is part of The Co-op Group.
Agri Eastern Cape – www.agriec.co.za The chicory sector is affiliated to Agri Eastern Cape
Chicory Producers’ Association (CPA) Tel: 046 653 0048 Housed by Chicory SA Limited, the CPA is affiliated to Agri Eastern Cape
Western Cape Department of AgricultureOuteniqua Research Farm – www.elsenburg.com Sigrun Ammann has done research on using chicory for pastures.
University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Department of Crop Science – https://saees.ukzn.ac.za

Further reference:

  • Products sold by Chicory SA Limited include dried chicory, roasted chicory and liquid chicory extract as well as its own pure, caffeine-free chicory for the local market. Chicory SA also provided vital ingredients to manufacturers of a variety of top selling brand name products. Nestle, National Brands, Spar, OK Foods, Pick n Pay, Shoprite Checkers and Dis-Chem all stock chicory products.

Websites and publications

The Directorate Agro-processing Support at DALRRD put out “Profile of Chicory Plant” which includes notes on the processing and trade of chicory. Find the Production guideline for chicory on the Directorate Plant Production’s pages on the same website, www.dalrrd.gov.za.

Two publications are available from the ARC:

  1. “Chicory”, a leaflet which can be ordered from the ARC in Roodeplaat. Contact 012 841 9611.
  2. Agro-processing of Industrial Crops (chicory, coffee, sugar cane, tea) is available from the ARC in Silverton. Call 012 842 4017 or email iaeinfo [at] arc.agric.za.

Manyoni N. 2017. Evaluation of best practices for local chicory production. Available at https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10413/16836/Manyoni_Nonduduzo_Nelly_2017.pdf

Notes on chicory could also be found at www.chicory.co.za, the website of Chicory SA. [Now closed down – ed.].

Visit http://chicoryusa.com

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