SA Groundnut Forum (SAGF)
held on 2 November 2011 at 10:00 at the offices of the Oilseeds Industry, Woodmead

1. Opening

   The meeting was opened with prayer offered by Mr GTduT Keun.

2. Welcome

   The Chairperson, Mr GTduT Keun, welcomed all present to the last meeting of the SA Groundnut Forum in 2011.

3. Attendance

   Present
   Mr GTduT Keun	Chairperson
   Ms R Beukes	DAFF
   Mr J Blaauw	PPECB
   Mr L de Kock	Roba Nuts
   Mr GA de Witt	Praxia Trading
   Ms D Diergaardt	PPECB
   Mr N Hawkins	GrainSA
   Mr C Herbst	SAGIS
   Mr RW Higgs	Triotrade Gauteng
   Mr C Louw	GrainSA
   Mr B Makhafola	DAFF
   Ms C Mapatlare	DAFF
   Mr V Mapfumari	DAFF
   Ms D Marabe	DAFF
   Mr S Matai	PPECB
   Dr C Minnie	ARC-GCI
   Dr D Naicker	PPECB
   Ms AE Pretorius	ARC-GCI
   Ms J Sadie	DAFF
   Mr GJH Scholtemeijer	OAC
   Dr G Thompson	ARC-GCI
   Dr WJ van der Walt	SANCU
   Ms A van Deventer	Praxia Trading
   Ms E Harmse	Secretariat
   Apologies
   Mr AM Cronjé	Tiger Brands
   Mr T Geldenhuys	GrainSA
   Mr RE Nerwich	The Snack Factory
   Mr C Nortjé	GWK
   Mr G Reitsma	SANSOR
   Ms L Salomon	ARC-GCI

4. Personalia

   None reported.

5. Finalisation of agenda

   The agenda was accepted as it stood, with the addition of:

   • Item 11.5 – PPECB Laboratory Services - Relocation;
   • Item 11.6 – Groundnut analyses - Sampling to PPECB slurry points; and
   • Item 11.7 – Zimbabwean groundnut industry.

6. Approval of minutes

   1. Approval of the minutes of the meeting of the SA Groundnut Forum held on 30 March 2011

      Resolved:

      1. That the minutes of the meeting of the SA Groundnut Forum, which was held on 30 March 2011, be accepted as a true and fair reflection of that meeting.

7. Matters arising

   1. Chemical residues in the European Union (EU)

      (Resolutions 7.1.1 and 7.1.2 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      Cognisance was taken of the document titled "Maximum residue levels for crop protection products on peanuts – South Africa, Europe and Japan – August 2011", as compiled by Mr Rob Wood.

      Mr Hawkins mentioned that one new chemical, that had been released recently, had not been included on the list. The Chairperson noted that the list would be updated. He said the list had been published on the websites of GrainSA and the oilseeds industry.

      The Chairperson said he would submit the list of 52 chemicals registered for use on groundnuts in South Africa, that had been compiled by the Department of Health (DOH), to Mr Rob Wood, so that Mr Wood's list and the DOH's list could be compared, and combined in one master list.

      After a short discussion, it was agreed that the Forum would request the DOH to publish the master list as the official list of chemicals registered for use on groundnuts in South Africa.

      Resolved:

      1. That it be noted that the list of 52 chemicals registered for use on groundnuts in South Africa, that had been compiled by the Department of Health (DOH), would be compared to Mr Wood's list, that the two lists would be combined, and one master list compiled.

         Chairperson

      2. That the Forum would request the Department of Health to publish the official list of chemicals registered for use on groundnuts in South Africa, once the master list had been compiled.

         Chairperson

   2. Peanut butter - Gauteng Feeding scheme

      (Resolution 7.2.1 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      It was noted that the Steering Committee had recommended that the matter with regard to the exclusion of peanut butter on the Gauteng Education Department's list of approved foods in their feeding scheme be considered as closed, as it had not been possible to determine what the reasons for this ruling had been.

   3. Feedback: EU visit

      (Resolutions 7.5.1 to 7.5.3 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      Cognisance was taken that representatives of the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) as well as the DOH would in future regularly attend meetings of the Groundnut Forum.

      Cognisance was taken of the document "Final report of an audit carried out in South Africa from 15 to 24 March 2011, in order to assess the controls of aflatoxin contamination in peanuts intended for export into the European Union".

      Mr Makhafola provided a brief overview of the recommendations of the EU's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), and briefed the Forum on the action plan that the DAFF had compiled in order to strengthen control measures, both in terms of the development and the enforcement of sound and up-to-date regulations.

      Mr Scholtemeijer suggested that feedback be given at the next meeting on progress achieved with Recommendation six of the FVO report, that related to the investigation of all Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications.

      Resolved:

      1. That feedback be given at the next meeting on progress achieved with Recommendation six of the FVO report, that related to the investigation of all Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications.

         Chairperson
         Mr Makhafola

   4. Seed

      1. Seed quality

         (Resolution 7.6.1 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

         The Chairperson noted that it had been resolved at the previous meeting that a representative from SANSOR would be invited to a future meeting of the Forum, to inform the members about the required qualities of seed to be made available for planting. He said the issue of seed quality had since been raised at various other meetings. He called on the ARC-GCI to elucidate on the issue regarding the regulations on commercial seed quality.

         Ms Pretorius said two articles had been published on the issue of seed quality. She said producers had been informed of their rights to open and inspect the bags of seed that had been provided to them, and the seed companies had been informed of their rights, while SANSOR had been called on to rigorously enforce the regulations with regard to seed quality.

         Following on a short discussion about the current regulations, it was noted that only the physiological, and not the physical, qualities of groundnut seed were covered by the regulations. The Chairperson ruled that a copy of said regulations be included in the documentation of the following meeting, so that the necessary amendments to the regulations could be discussed, in order to ensure that commercial seed of good quality was made available to producers.

         Resolved:

         1. That a copy of the regulations on commercial seed quality be included in the documentation of the following meeting, and that the necessary amendments to the regulations would be discussed, in order to ensure that commercial seed of good quality was made available to producers.

            Chairperson

      2. Breeder seed

         Cognisance was taken that the climate had had an effect on the availability of breeders' seed during the past year. An appeal was made to the ARC that breeders' seed be cultivated at more than one locality, so that the risk could be spread.

      3. Development of new cultivars

         The Chairperson raised the matter of new cultivars. Mr Hawkins said two issues were at stake, viz. the evaluation of international cultivars locally, and the development of new cultivars, within the ARC's breeding programme.

         Cognisance was taken that the ARC was negotiating with authorities in Texas, in order to obtain Spanish- and runner-type lines to speed up its' breeding programme.

         Mr Scholtemeijer urged the ARC to evaluate international cultivars locally. He said he considered it to be absolutely unacceptable that the same cultivars were evaluated year after year in the groundnut cultivar trials, at a prohibitive cost. He warned the ARC that the trials would be discontinued, if it were to be run according to these practices.

         The Chairperson ruled that the matter be referred to the Oilseeds' Advisory Committee for discussion.

         Resolved:

         1. That the matter with regard to the local evaluation of international groundnut cultivars be referred to the Oilseeds' Advisory Committee for discussion.

            Chairperson
            OAC

   5. Imports of peanut butter

      (Resolution 7.7.1 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      Ms van Deventer reported that the DOH had indicated that they could not find confirmation that large volumes of peanut butter had been imported from India. She said the DOH were prepared to act on the matter, if details of the alleged imports could be made available.

      The Chairperson requested Mr Herbst to obtain clarity on the way SAGIS dealt with imported peanuts.

      Resolved:

      1. That clarity be obtained on the way SAGIS dealt with imported peanuts.

         Mr Herbst
         Chairperson

   6. HACCP regulations

      (Resolution 7.5.3 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      The Chairperson called on Mr Makhafola to inform the members on the matter of HACCP certification.

      Mr Makhafola reported that it had been agreed at a meeting between the PPECB, the DAFF and the DOH that HACCP regulations were going to be mandatory, and would be enforced during the next production season.

      Following on a brief discussion, it was resolved that the matter of HACCP-compliance and certification would be referred to the Steering Committee, for urgent attention.

      Resolved:

      1. That the matter of HACCP-compliance and certification be referred to the Steering Committee, for urgent attention.

         Chairperson
         Steering Committee

   7. Export of groundnuts intended for animal feed

      (Resolution 11.2.1 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      Cognisance was taken that groundnuts intended for exports aimed at the animal feed market had to be clearly marked as such, and that the regulations of the Agricultural Product Standards Act (APS Act) 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990) had to be complied with, when exporting such groundnuts.

8. Industry information and marketing aspects

   1. SAGIS: General feedback and market information

      The members took cognisance of SAGIS's Market Information, as compiled for the Groundnut Forum and dated 18 October, the Weekly Bulletin dated 11 October, and the Monthly Bulletin dated 23 September.

      Mr Herbst conveyed SAGIS's gratitude to the co-workers in the industry for submitting their returns timeously, and to the members of the Forum, for their support and cooperation. The members of the Forum confirmed that they were satisfied with the information compiled by SAGIS.

   2. Crop and Area estimates

      Cognisance was taken of the final production forecast for summer crops for the 2010/2011 production season. It was also noted that the final production forecast for 2011 was 19 705 tons less than the 2010 forecast of 88 000 tons, that the current crop of 68 295 tons was 16,4% less than the previous five year average of 81 660 tons, and 28,2% less than the previous ten year average of 95 133 tons.

9. Research

   1. Study: Sustainability of the groundnut industry

      (Item 9.1 of the SA Groundnut Forum minutes of 30 March 2011)

      The Chairperson reported that the Oil- and Protein Seeds Development Trust (OPDT) had financed a study on the sustainability of the local groundnut industry by the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP). He said the final report will be submitted to the Research Priority Committee of the oilseeds industry, and the findings released to the groundnut industry in February 2012. He confirmed that groundnut-related research project proposals for the 2012-2013 financial year will be reviewed, after the findings had been released.

      Resolved:

      1. That cognisance be taken that the BFAP report on the sustainability of the local groundnut industry will be included with the set of documents for the next meeting.

         Chairperson
         Steering Committee

10. Feedback: groundnut industry roleplayers

    Mr Hawkins said GrainSA took the view that the groundnut crop estimates for the past production season could be too high, and added that it would be interesting to determine what the final deliveries were. He remarked that there seemed to be a new urgency within the Groundnut Forum, with issues being identified and dealt with promptly. Dr Thompson said the ARC-GCI welcomed the interaction with the industry, and was keen to collaborate with the groundnut industry. Mr Blaauw remarked that PPECB placed a high premium on communication with the various role players. Mr Makhafola added that DAFF's Directorate: Food Safety and Quality Assurance also appreciated the interaction it had with the Groundnut Forum.

11. Additional items

    1. Withdrawal: Exemption of groundnut primary producers of groundnuts on food safety auditing

       Cognisance was taken of the letter from DAFF, dated 22 July 2011, on the withdrawal of the exemption of primary producers of groundnuts on food safety auditing.

       Ms Diergaardt explained that one of the recommendations of the FVO's report had been that official controls of groundnuts should be carried out at all stages of production, processing and export, in line with the requirements set out in Point 14 of the Codex Alimentarius Guidelines for the design, operation, assessment and accreditation of food import and export inspection and certification systems (CAC/GL 26-1997). She said DAFF had withdrawn the exemption of primary producers, in compliance with the recommenda

       Ms Diergaardt said the PPECB intended to work closely with the industry and producers in the implementation of food safety audits at the farms of primary producers of groundnuts. She added that the process will be phased in, over a two to three year period. She confirmed that DAFF would communicate the timelines and benchmarks of the audits to all the key role players.

       Mr Hawkins suggested that the booklet titled "Voedselveiligheidsvereistes vir nasionale en internasionale bemarking van grondbone", that had been published under the auspices of the Groundnut Forum, be revised and updated, in line with the PPECB's checklist. Ms Diergaardt indicated that PPECB would handle the matter. The Chairperson said the oilseeds industry would probably carry the costs related to the publishing of the document, if necessary.

       The Chairperson said progress could be reported on at Forum meetings.

       Resolved:

       1. That cognisance be taken that progress achieved on the revision and updating of the booklet titled "Voedselveiligheidsvereistes vir nasionale en internasionale bemarking van grondbone", in line with the PPECB's checklist, will be reported on, at future meetings of the Forum.

          Chairperson
          Mr Blaauw

    2. Standards and requirements regarding control of the export of groundnuts

       Cognisance was taken of the amended export standards and requirements regarding the control of the export of groundnuts, that had been published in Government Gazette no 34585 of 9 September 2011. Mr Makhafola cautioned that special note should be taken of Clause 36, that related to the measures that would be applied, in the event of an exporter or processing plant receiving three consecutive rejections on consignments exceeding permitted aflatoxin limits at inland testing.

       Following on a short discussion of Clauses 35 to 37 of the Standards and Requirements, the Chairperson noted the Forum's concerns about the practical implementation of said clauses. Mr Makhafola remarked that due process had been followed in the drawing up of the Standards and Requirements. He suggested that a wait and see attitude be adopted with regard to the implementation process, and that problems be communicated to the Forum, before actual implementation of the Standards and Requirements.

       Dr Naicker said she would forward all the results of analyses of the groundnuts that were potentially intended for export, to the Chairperson, in order to enable him to address certain issues within the industry. The Chairperson agreed that the information would be treated as confidential, and would not be distributed to the members of the Forum.

       Resolved:

       1. That cognisance be taken that the amended export standards and requirements regarding the control of the export of groundnuts, that had been published in Government Gazette no 34585 of 9 September 2011, would not be implemented before certain practical issues had not been resolved.

          Chairperson
          Members

    3. Revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on sampling and analysis of grains

       Mr Makhafola appealed to the members to submit their comments on the revised SOP as a matter of urgency.

       Resolved:

       1. That cognisance be taken that members of the Forum are to submit their comments on the Revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Sampling and Analysis of Grains as a matter of urgency.

          Chairperson
          Members

    4. Articles

       Cognisance was taken of the articles "Dink groot oor grondbone en wen groot", "Grondbone bied nuwe geleenthede", "Waterbehoeftes van grondbone onder besproeiing", "Grondboonsaad – waarna gekyk moet word by aankope", "'n Kykie na die afgelope grondboonseisoen" and "Nuwe chemie is onkruid se moses in grondbone".

       Ms Van Deventer confirmed that she would write an article on the EU's audit, that was carried out in South Africa from 15 to 24 March 2011, in order to assess the controls of aflatoxin contamination in peanuts, intended for export into the European Union.

    5. PPECB Laboratory Services: Relocation

       Cognisance was taken of the time frames of the relocation of the PPECB Laboratory Services. Dr Naicker explained how the relocation of the laboratory would impact on the industry and the services delivered to industry. She said the PPECB Laboratory will continue to offer a service to its commercial clients and the industry, but pointed out that the PPECB will go into voluntary suspension of the South African National Accreditation System's (SANAS) accreditation from 20 February to the end of April, but would ensure that accreditation was attained, before the start of the next season.

       Dr Naicker mentioned that the PPECB Laboratory would still be able to issue export certification during that period. Mr Makhafola confirmed that exports of groundnuts that had not been analysed by a SANAS-accredited laboratory would not be affected during the period that the PPECB Laboratory went into voluntary suspension of SANAS accreditation. Dr Naicker requested that the industry should submit any concerns they had in writing to the Chairperson of the Groundnut Forum.

       Resolved:

       1. That cognisance be taken that exports of groundnuts that had not been analysed by a SANAS-accredited laboratory would not be affected during the period that the PPECB Laboratory went into voluntary suspension of SANAS accreditation.

          Chairperson
          Members

       2. That cognisance be taken that roleplayers in the groundnut industry should submit any concerns they had about the relocation of the PPECB Laboratory in writing to the Chairperson of the Groundnut Forum.

          Chairperson
          Dr Naicker
          Members

    6. Groundnut analyses: Sampling to PPECB slurry points

       Dr Naicker said PPECB was responsible for the sampling, the transportation of samples to PPECB's slurry points at various areas, and the couriering of slurried samples to the laboratory for further analysis. She mentioned that all the costs were absorbed by PPECB. She said there were different units within PPECB, who were all responsible for a specific function, and that sampling was not the laboratory's responsibility. She noted that the laboratory's responsibility started from the point the samples had been taken and packed.

       Dr Naicker said PPECB's top management had resolved that inspectors would no longer transport the samples to slurry points, and that a courier service would be used for this from June 1, 2011. She mentioned that many processors had complained about this, because of delays and cost implications. She asked how this issue could be resolved, in a cost effective manner.

       The Chairperson suggested that his office organise a meeting between the PPECB and the affected groups, so that the issue could be discussed and resolved before the next production season.

       Resolved:

       1. That cognisance be taken that a meeting will be organised between the PPECB and the affected groups, so that the issue of the couriering of slurried samples to the laboratory for further analyses could be discussed and resolved before the next production season.

          Chairperson
          Members

    7. Zimbabwean groundnut industry

       Dr Naicker reported that the Chairperson of the Zimbabwean Groundnut Forum had asked for assistance, after the PPECB laboratory had found dangerously high levels of aflatoxin in a consignment of groundnuts from Zimbabwe.

       The Chairperson said local producers, processors and the ARC would be willing to affect technology transfer to the Zimbabweans. He said the Groundnut Forum would gladly provide assistance to a fact finding mission to South Africa.

12. Election of office bearers

    1. Election of Vice Chairperson

       The Chairperson called for nominations for the position of Vice Chairperson of the SA Groundnut Forum. Ms Adri van Deventer was unanimously elected as Vice Chairperson of the SA Groundnut Forum for a period of two years.

       Resolved:

       1. That Ms Adri van Deventer be elected as Vice Chairperson of the SA Groundnut Forum for the period 2012 and 2013.

          Chairperson
          Ms van Deventer

    2. Election of members of the Steering Committee

       The Chairperson said the Steering Committee of the Groundnut Forum consisted of the chairperson, vice chairperson, and representatives of the processors, producers and research, with the authority to co-opt members as and when necessary. The following members were unanimously elected as members of the Steering Committee of the SA Groundnut Forum:

       Representative of producers	A representative from GrainSA, ex officio;
       Representative of processors	Mr W Higgs;
       Representative of research	Dr G Thompson.

       Resolved:

       1. That Mr W Higgs, Dr G Thompson and a representative of GrainSA, ex officio, be elected to the Steering Committee of the SA Groundnut Forum, and that additional members be co-opted as and when required.

          Mr Keun

13. Meeting dates 2012

    The dates of meetings during 2012 were confirmed as:

    • 2 February;
    • 28 March;
    • 31 July; and
    • 31 October.

14. Adjournment

    The Chairperson thanked the members of the Forum for their attendance at, and contributions to, the meeting, and wished all well over the festive period. There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 13:30.