30 / 37
THE
GRAIN AND OILSEED INDUSTRY
OF SOUTH AFRICA – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
ႅႂ
Before 1934
Co-operative co-operation
1934
Groundnut Producer Advisory Committee
1952
Oilseeds Control Scheme and Oilseeds Control Board
– sunflower and groundnuts – single-channel pooled system
1994
Control abolished
30 September 1997 Oilseeds Board abolished
• To provide assistance for research work with respect to sorghum or sorghum
products.
• To establish a database and information service.
• To undertake market development and stimulate the demand for sorghum and
sorghum products.
• To introduce levies on sorghum and sorghum products with a view to obtaining
funds.
• To introduce an inspection service in order to check, inter alia, the collection of
levies.
• Under certain conditions to place restrictions on the sale of sorghum.
Research conducted by the Sorghum Board was funded by statutory levies.
Agents
The agricultural co-operatives were the main agents for the Sorghum Board with
respect to the receipt and storage of surplus sorghum. Storage facilities belonged
to the agents, who were paid by the Sorghum Board for the cost of storage and
handling of the sorghum. The co-operatives usually also provided production
credit to producers to cultivate sorghum.
Composition
The Sorghum Board consisted of nine members, being representatives of produc-
ers (5), malt manufacturers (1), animal feed manufacturers (11), wholesalers (1) and
agents of the Board (1).
The Sorghum Board was also served by various committees, namely a Research
Advisory Committee, a Research Expertise Committee, a Marketing Expertise
Committee, a Seed Expertise Committee and an Advertising and Promotion
Working Group.
Oilseeds
LIMITED QUANTITIES OF SORGHUM WERE EXPORTED
AND AN IMPORT TARIFF WAS CHARGED ON IMPORTS.
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF SORGHUM WERE
SUBJECT TO QUANTITATIVE CONTROL.
Co-operative co-operation
Problems that arose in the early stages of commercial groundnut cultivation in South
Africa with respect to the surplus production of food-market groundnuts created a
need for the organised marketing of groundnuts, which led to the establishment
of co-operative organisations. The first of these was in the Northern Transvaal
(Limpopo) area, probably because that was the only groundnut-producing area in
South Africa at the time.