14 March 2024
Grain SA tasted success last week by overturning regulations that disadvantaged grain producers by downgrading maize – and reducing its value – when shipments contain speckled or water-damaged kernels.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development published a regulation last week which prevents the downgrading of maize shipments that contain healthy water-speckled kernels.
Tobias Doyer, executive head of Grain SA, says according to the regulation, farmers will benefit from the change with this year’s harvest.
After Grain SA’s 2023 congress, maize farmers applied to the government for a change in regulations. This came after a joint application via the Maize Forum ran aground.
Research by the Southern African Grain Laboratory proved that this type of kernel has no significant impact on milling quality and poses no risk to humans or animals.
“Therefore, we proposed making a change to our grading. If science proves that the kernel’s flour is still up to standard, there is no scientific reason to discard the kernel,” said Dr Dirk Strydom, who is in charge of marketing at Nampo and research coordination at Grain SA.
Original application
The original application was submitted by the Maize Forum, consisting of Grain SA, millers, animal feed manufacturers, grain traders and grain storage businesses. The process of looking at a fairer and commercially justifiable grading system and asking the government to set new regulations on it had been going on for several years.
However, it hit a dead end when the National Chamber of Milling and animal feed manufacturers expressed their reservations about the quality of water-speckled maize. By then, the process of changing the regulations was already well advanced.
Derek Mathews, chairperson of Grain SA, said the new regulations had already been published in the Government Gazette when objections were raised from within the industry.
The Chamber of Milling could not provide any research to support its position that the quality of flour is adversely affected by coloured or water-damaged kernels.
According to Strydom, Grain SA’s application asked the State to look at the matter from the perspective of farmers. He mentioned last year that they suspected it would take a long time, but the Grain SA team was excited to be able to announce today that the application had succeeded.
