UFS, Tiger Brands take agricultural research from the laboratory to food value chain

The University of the Free State (UFS) and Tiger Brands have entered a three-year strategic partnership to strengthen the productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of South Africa’s agricultural value chain.

The partnership brings together the research expertise of the University’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Tiger Brands’ experience across the food value chain. It will focus on developing practical, science-based solutions that support local agricultural production.

“South Africa needs a strong agricultural sector if we are going to produce enough to support food security, remain globally competitive, and continue giving consumers access to quality, affordable food,” says Tjaart Kruger, CEO of Tiger Brands.

“Farmers need sustainable markets, and food manufacturers need reliable, competitive local supply. Partnerships like this allow us to combine academic knowledge with practical industry experience to solve real and complex problems.”

Turning research into practical solutions

For UFS, the partnership provides an opportunity to apply academic research to practical challenges across the agricultural value chain.

“Universities have an important role to play in addressing the complex challenges facing agriculture, but research has the greatest impact when it responds to real challenges and is translated into solutions that can be implemented on the ground,” says Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at UFS.

“This partnership creates a platform where the knowledge and expertise of our researchers can be brought together with Tiger Brands’ understanding of markets, processing, and the food value chain.”

Prof Paul Oberholster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UFS, says bringing researchers, students and industry partners together around real-world challenges can help improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across key agricultural commodities.

The partnership also gives students and researchers exposure to the practical demands of agricultural production, processing and markets. By connecting academic knowledge with industry challenges, it can help develop skills that are relevant across the agricultural and food value chain.

Strengthening local supply

More than 90% of Tiger Brands’ revenue is derived from food and beverages, while 70% of its agricultural procurement spend in 2025 went to local agricultural producers. Strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of local sourcing is therefore important to the company’s business and the long-term security of its agricultural supply.

The partnership will focus on sorghum, wheat, small white beans, groundnuts and tomatoes.

Tiger Brands sees opportunities to improve germination, yields, crop quality and processing performance across these crops. The partners will also explore ways to strengthen value-chain economics and sustainable agricultural practices in response to changing climate conditions and risks involving water, pests, diseases and pathogens.

“Our ambition at the University of the Free State is to contribute not only to better research outcomes, but also to a more productive, resilient, and inclusive agricultural sector,” says Prof Reddy.

“By bringing industry, researchers, students, and producers closer together, we can accelerate the journey from knowledge to implementation and create value throughout the agricultural value chain.”

Planning for long-term resilience

Kruger says the agricultural and food industries must look beyond immediate challenges and invest for the longer term.

“We cannot think only about the next planting season or production cycle. We need to plan for the challenges and opportunities we will face in five, ten or more years, and start preparing for them today,” he says.

“Research can help us understand what we should plant, where we should plant it, and how productivity and resilience can be improved in ways that work for farmers, manufacturers, and ultimately, consumers.”

Kruger says closer collaboration among farmers, universities and industry can help move research into practice, support local production and contribute to a more resilient food system.

From the left: Werna Oberholzer, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Tiger Brands; Praveen Balgobind, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Tiger Brands; Prof Vasu Reddy: Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, University of the Free State; Tjaart Kruger, CEO, Tiger Brands; and Prof Paul Oberholster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State.