The PPECB, mandated by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), has been delivering end-point inspection services on perishable products destined for export since 1991. The PPECB ensures that food business operators comply with the standards regarding food hygiene and food safety of regulated agricultural food products intended for export. The PPECB fulfils this role by conducting Statutory Food Safety Audits nationally.

The PPECB has been responsible for managing the export cold chain since 1926 and ensures that products leaving the country are handled, stored and transported at specific temperatures and optimum conditions. The PPECB’s Laboratory is geared for the delivery of analytical services, which include mycotoxin analysis, fats analysis, dairy testing and Maximum Residue Level (MRL) testing of pesticides in a myriad of matrices (grain, feed, fruit, vegetables, cereals, peanut butter, spices).

The PPECB has been appointed as a third party to act on behalf of the South Africa Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to approve shippers using a certified method to verify the gross mass of a packed and sealed container.

One of government’s top priorities is the development of smallholder farmers as an instrument to stimulate growth within the South African agricultural sector. The PPECB works with various sister state owned enterprises, the DALRRD and industry to develop smallholder farmers to gain greater market access and thereby improve their profitability and sustainability as agri-businesses. Part 05_strategic plan114_142An area of focus for the PPECB in the coming months will be the PPECB Laboratory.

There are some concerns regarding the Laboratory’s future viability due to increased competition, ageing equipment and lack of space. The strategic plan of the PPECB is reviewed on a regular basis by the Board and Executive Management to ensure that we remain on track to meet the objectives set. As South Africa’s official certification agency for perishable export products, the PPECB’s impartial and independent services significantly reduce risks for producers and exporters. Products approved for export carry the passed-for-export stamp, regarded as a symbol of quality assurance to clients and consumers around the world. It remains for me to thank our dedicated employees once again for their unwavering commitment during these incredibly difficult times and for making sure that South African perishable produce is still sought after worldwide. Thanks also to the PPECB Board, the DALRRD and our stakeholders for their guidance and support in making our strategic plan a reality. The Board remains confident that the PPECB will continue to fulfil its mandate and grow from strength to strength. There are several challenges currently facing the agricultural sector within South Africa. One of the major challenges at the moment is the state of the ports. Without effectively managed and run ports, the agricultural export industry is hamstrung. One of the most sustainable and fastest-growing industries in South Africa, providing thousands of jobs, is being severely affected by dysfunctional ports. Another challenge currently facing the export industry is the issue of hi-cube containers. Hi-cube 40ft containers, making up around 75% of worldwide container cargo, are currently illegal on South African roads if their height, from the road surface to the top, exceeds 4.3 metres.

Despite many requests to government to resolve this issue, there remains uncertainty regarding the use of hi-cube containers. The lack of market access to many export markets is also hampering further agricultural growth and, with that, the creation of jobs. The issue of our neighbouring countries closing their borders to protect their industries without our government doing the same is putting pressure on the agricultural industry and flies in the face of the SADC and African Continental Free Trade Agreements.

The Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) of the government in 2022 will be to continue to focus on interventions that mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic while supporting recovery efforts. The national rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) are vital to support medium-term recovery. We hope the government’s commitment to investment in strategic economic infrastructure will lead to the much-needed intervention in the ports.

On a positive note, the dedicated employees of the PPECB have stuck to their task of providing the agricultural export industry with unfaltering service despite the enormous challenge of COVID-19 and the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The finances of the PPECB remain stable, and the PPECB has, once again, received an unqualified audit report.

Now that the world is returning to a sense of normality, the PPECB is well-placed to maintain its service to the agricultural export industry. We have continued to concentrate on strengthening our ICT capabilities and stakeholder relationships, providing training to smallholder farmers and upgrading the skills of our employees. For the coming year, the PPECB will therefore concentrate on the following strategic focus areas:

• Improved client experience through seamless integration with PPECB systems (external), at the same time becoming more customer-centric;
• The provision of relevant and timeous export information and market trends to enhance the competitiveness of the industry (BI);
• Continuous improvement through a process of transformation, innovation, and automation;
• Revised business models through the introduction of digitisation and change in methodologies to increase efficiencies and contain costs;
• Enhanced data analytics and business intelligence (BI) capabilities; and Improved business sustainability for black smallholder farmers and suppliers.

The PPECB’s TITAN 2.0® project was well entrenched during the last citrus season, with 88% of volumes being inspected on this platform. This surpassed our initial target of 80% for the season. The application is now well adopted by industry vendors and packhouses. Our customer-centric approach and face-to-face engagements greatly assisted in achieving these performance figures. These engagements have also informed our priorities with regard to further development. To ensure that the PPECB is agile and can quickly shift gears to meet the needs of our clients, TITAN 2.0® will be considered as a product supported by agile approaches to development. This approach will enable greater customer satisfaction and stronger partnerships.

The PPECB informed the industry that TITAN 2.0® was compulsory for the 2021/2022 grape season. This was positively received and supported by communication and various engagements with the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) at pre-season meetings and various customers.

An area of focus for the PPECB in the coming months will be the PPECB Laboratory. There are some concerns regarding the Laboratory’s future viability due to increased competition, ageing equipment and lack of space.

The strategic plan of the PPECB is reviewed on a regular basis by the Board and Executive Management to ensure that we remain on track to meet the objectives set. As South Africa’s official certification agency for perishable export products, the PPECB’s impartial and independent services significantly reduce risks for producers and exporters. Products approved for export carry the passed-for-export stamp, regarded as a symbol of quality assurance to clients and consumers around the world.

It remains for me to thank our dedicated employees once again for their unwavering commitment during these incredibly difficult times and for making sure that South African perishable produce is still sought after worldwide. Thanks also to the PPECB Board, the DALRRD and our stakeholders for their guidance and support in making our strategic plan a reality. The Board remains confident that the PPECB will continue to fulfil its mandate and grow from strength to strength.