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THE
GRAIN AND OILSEED INDUSTRY
OF SOUTH AFRICA – A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
ႅႆ
Strategic focus areas
The newly elected management committee convened at the Congress on 13 and
14 March 1995 to reflect on the strategic focus areas for NOPO.
They agreed on the values, overall objectives and industry focus, which were
defined in a strategic plan for the organisation. The point of departure was that
NOPO as organisation would strive to expand the economic living space for
oilseeds producers.
The mission of NOPO was defined as follows: To promote the interests of producer
members as a needs-driven united front. Collective bargaining on behalf of oilseeds
producers would be aimed at organisational, production and marketing matters. The
aim was to establish NOPO as mouthpiece for the oilseeds producers. The strategic
plan and focus areas were accepted unanimously by the Executive on 20 April 1995.
At this meeting the Executive also decided to change the name of the organisation
to:
National Oil and Protein Seed Producer Organisation of South Africa
. However,
the organisation would still be known as NOPO.
The Executive furthermore decided that the following industry committees would
be formed to manage the strategic focus areas: Research priorities committee,
cultivar evaluation committee, tariffs committee, committee for quality standards
and an arrangement committee for information days.
A total of nine production regions were identified and area managements were
activated for each region with the co-operation of the various Executive Mem-
bers. The priority task for the area managements was to recruit members at
grassroots level. However, the task was hampered by groundnuts producers
in particular trading their product through private buyers and their particulars
therefore not being available on the board’s database. Membership of NOPO was
voluntary, with producers agreeing to membership in writing. Membership fees
amounted to R50 and the aim was not primarily to raise funds, but to establish a
legitimate membership base. The recruitment action also held a financial benefit
for area managements, as a portion of subscriptions from the region was paid
back to the relevant area management.
Liaison with canola producers
In 1995 canola production was limited to the Southern and Western Cape, but
various problems were experienced in the production and marketing process.
In June 1995 a delegation from NOPO liaised with producers from those areas
on the viability of the canola industry in South Africa. NOPO invited canola pro-
ducers to join NOPO as industry organisation. However, the canola producers
decided not to join NOPO formally at that stage.
NOPO then decided to activate a liaison committee with canola producers in the
Southern/Western Cape and a seed company that undertook cultivar trials with
canola. The first meeting of the liaison committee took place on 23 January 1996
and activities were soon expanded to involve producers, agribusinesses, the
animal feed industry, oil pressing plants and the Protein Research Trust.
Tariffs committee
The tariffs committee convened for the first time on 5 July 1995. The committee
consisted of representatives from NOPO, the Oilseeds Board, the Edible Nut
Processors Association, SA Peanut Company, Groundnut International, AFMA and
the Oil Expressors Association.
The tariff committee reached consensus on tariffs on the import of certain oilseeds
and products and submitted an application to the Board on Tariffs and Trade,
following which tariffs were approved in November 1995.
International competition was a new reality for producers. Tariffs were an important
instrument to protect the local industry, as supply and demand, transport costs
and the prices of imported products would have a great impact on domestic prices
– in contrast to the period of controlled marketing.