THE CITRUS BOARD and its sole agent Outspan house elements which have not conceded the need for change, and are demanding reintroduction of statutory powers eliminated through deregulation, says Valdy Jensen, chairman of the South African Fruit Producers Exporters Association.
Addressing the Foodtrans Africa 98 conference at the Sandtron Sun this week, he said: There are those who still cling to the notion of the umbilical cord supposedly provided by the former statutory bodies which were empowered to acquire regulated produce at any price they chose.
The Citrus Board, he says, which has not yet disbanded, is 'involved in a dubious battle for continued statutory powers.' This, he says, is no doubt due to the surprising number of producers who have suddenly found the strength or the anger to leave their sanctuary and go it alone.
The former Deciduous Fruit Board has now been disbanded, and its former sole agent, Unifruco, now operates independently in an open economy. While initially resisting change, these former monopolists now apparently support the new dispensation.
Another sometimes confusing factor in the pie is the role of the PPECB. This organisation has established a good reputation for its work, but now faces the difficulty of adjusting to the needs and demands of hundreds of clients, in place of two ex-Board agents. It is likely that the PPECB will now have to field the pressure of demand for favouritism.
BY LEONARD NEILL
