https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Call for comment from fruit industry on continuation of statutory measures

Call for comment from fruit industry on continuation of statutory measures

Photo by Bloomberg

9th February 2015

By: Tracy Hancock

Creamer Media Contributing Editor

  

Font size: - +

Pome and stone fruit industry stakeholders that are directly affected by the proposed continuation of registration, records and returns, and levies, in terms of the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (MAPA) 1996, have until February 21 to submit comments, in writing, to the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC).

This would enable the council to finalise its recommendation to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana, the NAMC advised on Monday.

Umbrella communication platform Hortgro had requested that the proposed statutory measures on pome fruit (apples and pears) and stone fruit (plums, peaches and/or nectarines and apricots) in terms of the MAPA be approved for a new four-year period, effective October 1.

The Minister received the request from Hortgro, on behalf of the South African Apple and Pear Producers Association  and the South African Stone Fruit Producers Association.

In terms of registration and records and returns, the NAMC noted that the maintenance of macro industry statistics and market information was seen as “critical for long-term planning” by producers and exporters, government and service and/or input suppliers with regard to production, orderly marketing and infrastructural capacity.

The statutory measures currently in place in terms of export and domestic volumes of pome and stone fruit, which would lapse on September 30 were the payment of levies, in terms of Section 15 of the MAPA; the keeping of records and returns, in terms of Section 18 of the MAPA; and registration of persons, in terms of Section 19 of the Act.

Hortgro pointed out that the registration, in terms of Section 19, of producers, exporters, importers and the trade and juice plants would ensure the availability and provision of continuous, timeous and accurate information relating to products and the adherence to sound fruit-handling discipline and protocols, business principles and ethical trading, as well as aid the administration of the requested statutory measures.

“Furthermore, submitting records and returns, in terms of Section 18 of the MAPA, would ensure the availability and provision of continuous, timeous and accurate information relating to products to all stakeholders in the industry deemed to be essential to ensuring informed decision-making and a stable and profitable industry,” explained the NAMC in a statment.

Hortgro indicated that no records or returns would be required in terms of this measure, which disclosed confidential information of a marketing nature and, in particular, no returns disclosing, inter alia, contracting parties; purchasers of fruit; prices of services or the prices obtained for fruit, or any similar information.

Another measure highlighted was the payment of a market development statutory levy on export stone fruit, in terms of Section 15 of the MAPA, which would lapse on March 7.

The proceeds from this levy would be used to finance research projects, information and technology transfer; plant improvement, certification and cultivar development; market information, statistics and logistical efficiencies; trade and market access issues; communication; transformation and training; and administration.

The market development statutory measure on export pome fruit was also mentioned and regarded the payment of a levy, in terms of Section 15 of the Act. The measure would lapse on March 1, 2016.

The proposed levy amounts would remain the same and were not increased for the 2015 to 2019 period.


The NAMC advised that the use of levies would continue to be aligned with its guidelines and directives, with the council and the Auditor General to be furnished with yearly reports.

The NAMC believed that the measures requested were consistent with the objectives of Section 2 of the MAPA.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

Stewarts & Lloyds
Stewarts & Lloyds

Stewarts & Lloyds today supplies steel and tube, pipe and fittings, valves, pumps, irrigation, fencing, profiling and roofing products. The cash...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
WearCheck
WearCheck

Leading condition monitoring specialists, WearCheck, help boost machinery lifespan and reduce catastrophic component failure through the scientific...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.084 0.133s - 157pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now