COMBINED PRESS RELEASE BY GRAIN SOUTH AFRICA (GSA), NATIONAL CHAMBER OF MILLING (NCM) , THE SA CHAMBER OF BAKING (SACB), SA PLANT BREEDERS ASSOCIATION (SAPBA) AND THE SMALL GRAINS INSTITUTE (SGI) ON THE RELEASE CRITERIA FOR SOUTH AFRICAN WHEAT CULTIVARS

A meeting was held on Friday, 4 March 2005 at the offices of the National Chamber of Milling (Centurion) to discuss the release criteria for South African wheat cultivars.

Mr. Pieter Pretorius, Chairman of the Wheat Committee of Grain South Africa (GSA), chaired the meeting. It was attended by representatives of GSA, NCM, SACB SANSOR and SG I.

The reason for the meeting was to discuss the concerns of wheat producers that the yield potential of South African wheat was being significantly limited because high yielding cultivars were being withheld from the market because they could not meet the standards of the agreed release criteria.

The producers also felt that maintaining such high quality standards was unreasonable in the light of the fact that wheat of a far lower quality was being imported.

After a wide-ranging discussion, it was noted that the present system of setting release criteria for new cultivars had improved the milling and baking quality of South African wheat significantly over the last fifteen years.

It was agreed, however, that the time had come to review the system and the following decisions were taken:

• That the existing release criteria be retained but that Grain SA and SANSOR would evaluate the tolerances for these release criteria based on SA Grain Laboratory data, and their effect on yield potential, and submit proposals to the Technical Committee of the Winter Cereal Trust;
   

• That SANSOR would review the biological standards used with specific reference to the development of short growth period cultivars for the Free State and submit proposals to the Technical Committee of the Winter Cereal Trust;
   

• That the implications of  introducing a “filler wheat” class would be investigated which would cover its identification, separate storage, specific release criteria etc.; and
   

• That a process to involve all the role players culminating in a special meeting of the Technical Committee of the Winter Cereal Trust at the end of May would be instituted.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Pieter Pretorius said, “I really appreciate the input of all the role-players at this meeting. There will be times when we have differences of opinion but it is important to address them in a constructive spirit as we did today.”

GESAMENTLIKE PERSVERKLARING DEUR GRAAN SUID-AFRIKA (GSA), NATIONAL CHAMBER OF MILLING (NCM), SA KAMER VAN BAKWESE (SAKB), SA PLANTTELERS VERENIGING (SAPV) EN DIE KLEINGRAAN INSTITUUT (KGI) OOR DIE VRYSTELLINGSKRITERIA VIR SUID-AFRIKAANSE KORINGKULTIVARS.

‘n Vergadering is op Vrydag 4 Maart 2005 by die Nasionale Meulenaarskamer te Centurion gehou, waartydens die vrystellingskriteria vir Suid-Afrikaanse koringkultivars bespreek is.

Die vergadering is bygewoon deur verteenwoordigers van Graan Suid-Afrika (GSA), National Chamber of Milling (NCM), SA Kamer van Bakwese (SAKB), SA Nasionale Saad Organisasie (SANSOR) en die Kleingraan Instituut (KGI). Mnr. Pieter Pretorius, Voorsitter van Graan SA se Koring Spesialis Werkgroep het as voorsitter van die vergadering  opgetree.

Die vergadering is gehou om koringprodusente se kommer oor die opbrengspotensiaal van Suid-Afrika se koringkultivars te bespreek. Kommer bestaan dat die opbrengspotensiaal van nuwe koringkultivars  deur die ooreengekome vrystellingskreteria beperk word, en dat hoë-opbrengspotentiaal kultivars daarom van die mark weerhou word.  Hierdie hoë-opbrengs kultivars kan nie altyd volledig aan die ooreengekome vrystellingskriteria voldoen nie.

Produsente meen ook dat die huidige hoë vrystellingskriteria onredelik is, aangesien koring van ‘n beduidende laer kwaliteit ingevoer word.

Na breedvoerige bespreking is saamgestem dat die huidige sisteem vir die vrystelling van nuwe kultivars, die maal- en bakkwaliteit van Suid-Afrikaanse koring oor die afgelope 15 jaar beduidend verbeter het.  Ten spyte hiervan, is daar ooreengekom dat die tyd aangebreek het om die sisteem te hersien en die volgende besluite is geneem:

• Dat die huidige vrystellingskriteria behou word, maar dat GSA en SANSOR die toleransies binne die vrystellingskriteria met behulp van  SA Graanlaboratorium data sal evalueer en voorstelle vir aanpassings aan die Tegniese Komitee van Wintergraantrust voorlê;
   

• Dat SANSOR die huidige biologiese standaarde met spesifieke verwysing na die ontwikkeling van kort-groeiperiode kultivars vir die Vrystaat moet evalueer en dan voorstelle vir alternatiewe standaarde aan die Tegniese Komitee van die Wintergraantrust voorlê;
   

• Dat die implikasies van die daarstel van ‘n “mengkoring” klas ondersoek word. Hierdie ondersoek sal aspekte soos maklike identifikasie van die kultivars, aparte berging en spesifieke vrystellings kriteria vir die klas insluit; en
   

• Dat alle rolspelers tydens ‘n spesiale vergadering van die Koring Tegniesekomitee van die Wintergraantrust teen einde Mei 2005 ‘n ingeligte besluit oor die vrystellingskreteria moet neem.

Ter afsluiting van die vergadering , het Mnr. Pieter Pretorius gesê:  “Ek waardeer die insette van alle rolspelers tydens die vergadering.  Daar sal tye wees wanneer ons verskillende opinies sal hê, maar dit is belangrik om dit in ‘n konstruktiewe gees soos vandag aan te spreek.