Groblersdal
Encyclopedia
Groblersdal is a farming town situated 32 km North of the 178 million m³ Loskop Dam
in the Sekhukhune District
of Limpopo
.
The town is South Africa
's second largest irrigation settlement. The main crops in this man-made floodplain
are cotton
, tobacco
, citrus fruit, table grapes
, maize
, wheat
, vegetable
s, sunflower seeds
, peanut
s, lucerne
and peach
es, although not in order of importance as some previously leading crops eg. tobacco, have made way for others such as grapes.
Groblersdal was laid out on the farm "Klipbank" taking advantage of the Loskop Dam, and named after the original owner WJ Grobler.
Loskop Dam
Loskop Dam is a dam on the Olifants River, near Groblersdal, Mpumalanga, South Africa. It was established in 1939. The dam is situated in the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve.- References :* from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry...
in the Sekhukhune District
Sekhukhune District Municipality
Sekhukhune is one of the 6 districts of Limpopo province of South Africa. The seat of Sekhukhune is Groblersdal. The majority of its 967 126 people speak Northern Sotho...
of Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
.
The town is South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's second largest irrigation settlement. The main crops in this man-made floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
are cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, citrus fruit, table grapes
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s, sunflower seeds
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, lucerne
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
and peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es, although not in order of importance as some previously leading crops eg. tobacco, have made way for others such as grapes.
Groblersdal was laid out on the farm "Klipbank" taking advantage of the Loskop Dam, and named after the original owner WJ Grobler.