An investigation into the economic potential of hypericum production in Northern Natal.

Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.Hypericum is a most useful and versatile cut flower which within the last ten years has gained significant economic importance, recently having been included in the top fifty cut flowers on the Dutch Auctions. This study has investigated the cultural requirements of the crop, focusing on the following; propagation, insect and disease control, fertilisation, crop manipulation, marketing of the finished product, business theory and the interpretation of business theory. Propagation and multiplication techniques were investigated in order to reduce the reliance of external seedling growers and in so doing reducing the start up costs ofthe project. Insect and disease control were investigated as the import requirements for many countries are stringent. Contamination of the finished product results in the cargo being rejected at the port of entry. Insect and disease infestation reduce the quality and subsequently the return that is generated from the project. Fertilisation plays an important role in producing high quality sterns. Failure to fertilise the crop at the correct stage results in quality degradation, or additional expenditure on labour to groom the plants. Crop manipulation was investigated for the purpose of supplying crop into the market place on a sustained basis, ensuring optimal utilisation of resources whilst building customer loyalty. Product marketing plays an integral role in determining the success of a venture. Markets were evaluated in order to determine which markets would yield the greatest return on investment. Chapter three deals with various business theories that may be applied to the data and observations. Chapter four integrates business theory with the data and observations in an attempt to gain a meaningful picture of the economic potential of this proposed venture. The last chapter deals with a proposed strategy that the company should follow, having evaluated and integrated the business theory, data and observations