SOUTH AFRICA – The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has requested the continuation of statutory measures on citrus fruit packed for export.

This request, directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, aims to extend existing levies, records, returns, and registration for another four years.

On May 9, 2024, the CGA submitted their proposal to maintain statutory measures under the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act (MAP Act) of 1996.

The current measures are set to expire on December 31, 2024. The new proposal according to a recent newsletter by Justin Chadwick, CEO at CGA seeks to keep these regulations in place until 2028.

The statutory measures include, Levies (Section 15 of the MAP Act), Records and Returns (Section 18 of the MAP Act), and Registration (Section 19 of the MAP Act).

According to the CGA, compulsory registration and the systematic collection of industry data are crucial. They argue this will ensure the availability of accurate market information for all stakeholders. This data collection supports the smooth management and competitiveness of the citrus industry.

The current levy (2024) is at R1.79 (USD 0.099) per 15-kilogram carton (R1.79/carton) while the proposed new levy (2025-2028) includes R1.65 (USD 0.091) for 2025), R1.67 (USD 0.092) for 2026, R1.70 (USD 0.094) for 2027, and R1.76 (USD 0.097) for 2028) per 15-kilogram carton.

According to CGA, the proposed average levy for 2025 of R1.65 (USD 0.091) per 15-kilogram carton is well below the 5% maximum allowed by the MAP Act, representing less than 1.1% of the average guideline price for exported citrus.

National Agricultural Marketing Council Review

The National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) supports the CGA’s request, stating that the measures align with the MAP Act’s objectives.

They have called on directly affected groups, including producers, packers, and exporters, to submit comments on the proposed measures.

Feedback is to be sent to mathildavdw@namc.co.za by June 21, 2024. The NAMC will use this input to finalize their recommendation to the Minister.

Upcoming Citrus Sustainability Forum

In related news, the next Citrus Sustainability Forum will be held on June 21, 2024, starting at 09:00. The meeting details and agenda were previously circulated via the CGA Comms tool. Participants who did not receive this information can contact Paula Bester for further assistance.

This forum provides a platform for discussing sustainability practices within the citrus industry, aligning with the CGA’s broader goals of maintaining industry standards and promoting best practices.

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