African Origins Farming (Pty) Ltd

African Origins Farming (Pty) Ltd

African Origins Farming (Pty) Ltd is a farm, selling Kalahari Melon Seed Oil that has been produced on the farm. Our farm Latham West is situated next to Setlagole, in the Northwest province, South Africa. We plant ±400 hectares of Organic Kalahari Melons. The farm is divided into 5 blocks to ensure crop rotation for our Organic certification. Our farm and the Kalahari melons harvested, and the products produced from the Kalahari melons are certified by ECOCERT as ‘organic’

Manufacturing process:    Kalahari Melon Seed Oil is obtained from the seeds of the wild and farmed Kalahari Melons by cold pressing the seed to expel the oil. The crude oil is filtered twice () to remove the remaining husk and (2) polishing filtration. Production and sales started on a small scale in 2017. The market was locally in South Africa and international exports from United Kingdom to Hong Kong. Since 2021 the production facility was increased by installing larger production equipment.

Additional land was rented in 2021 from the community to ensure that reasonable planting and harvesting farmland was available for the Kalahari melon harvest.

 Planting and Harvesting (Kalahari melons from seeds to a pure oil (life cycle))

In the beginning of the summer planting season the wild melon seeds are planted and allowed to grow through summer to late winter early spring when the melons are harvested.  The seeds are sundried and stored for production and our seedbank for planting in the next season.

 The oil is extracted via cold pressing of the seeds. Our Kalahari Melon Seed Oil is a pure oil containing 70% linoleic acid was produced consistently. (See our specification and the typical analysis of Organic or Conventional Kalahari Melon Seed Oil)

 The Oil is produced on my farm in Latham West where I produce a pure cold press Kalahari Melon seed oil available for the cosmetic market.

 Kalahari Melons The use and dependence on plants as a natural source of medicine has been in existence since ancient time. Vegetable oils account for about 80% of the world’s natural oils and fat supply (Ling et al. 2009) with increasing importance in nutrition and commerce owing to their dietary energy, antioxidant, biofuels, and raw material potentials (Fasina and Colley 2008) and the attendant increasing global demand. The Kalahari Melon seed kernels are well-known in Africa for their therapeutic properties (Mabaleha et al. 2007).  Minerals:

Minerals   Kalahari Melon seed contains: ±35% Mg, ±21 P, ±18% Zn, ±11% Fe, ±9%Cu, ±4% K, ±1% Na & Ca

Vitamins Kalahari Melon seed contains:  ±45% Thiamin, ±31% Riboflavin, ± 10% Pantothenic acid, ± 14% Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12                                                                                                                                                                   

 African Origins Farming

Products:    Cold pressed Kalahari Melon seed oil

1.                   Conventional Kalahari Melon Seed Oil (harvested from farms where the melons are seen as a weed / pest)

2.                   Organic Kalahari Melon Seed Oil planted and harvested (ECOCERT certified as organic) on the farm Latham West

3.                   ‘Crude’ organic Kalahari Melon seed cakeFatty Acid Composition

Fatty Acid

Percentage

Property

C18:2 cis Linoleic acid

70%

PUFA

C18:1 cis Oleic acid

11%

MUFA

C16:0 Palmitic acid

9%

Saturated FA

C18:0 Stearic acid

8%

Saturated FA

C18:3 – C22 Fatty Acids

2%

PUFA's, MUFA's and Saturated FA

• Business Type: Manufacturer, Distributor/Wholesaler
• Main Products: 1. Conventional Kalahari Melon Seed Oil, 2. Organic Kalahari Melon Seed Oil planted and harvested (ECOCERT certified as organic) on the farm Latham West, 3. ‘Crude’ organic Kalahari Melon seed cake
• Main Markets: America, Africa, Asia, Europe, WorldWide
• Established year: 2017
• Total Annual Revenue: Below US$1 Million
• Export Percentage: 81% - 90%
• Address: Latham West farm
• Phone Number : Membership Required
• Country: South Africa
• Key Products: 1. Conventional Kalahari Melon Seed Oil, 2. Organic Kalahari Melon Seed Oil planted and harvested (ECOCERT certified as organic) on the farm Latham West, 3. ‘Crude’ organic Kalahari Melon seed cake
• Other Products: Crude Kalahari Melon Husks