The PPECB is mainly governed by the Perishable Products Export Control Act 9 of 1983 (PPEC Act) and the Agricultural Product Standards Act 119 of 1990 (APS Act). In terms of this legislation, the PPECB is responsible for overseeing the export of perishable produce. This is achieved through the inspection of listed agricultural products and management of the cold chain. The PPECB is further mandated to conduct food safety audits in terms of the APS Act on all Food Business Operators (FBOs) exporting perishable produce of plant origin.

Informed by the National Growth Path (NGP) and the National Development Plan (NDP), the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) places great emphasis on smallholder farmer development and rural employment, among other things.

As subject matter experts for the inspection of listed agricultural products and the management of the cold chain and food safety certification targeted at the export market, the PPECB is committed to supporting Government in achieving these outcomes.

The PPECB has formulated policies that will promote and facilitate the achievement of these outcomes and has further introduced programmes directing organisational resources accordingly.