South Africa's Deciduous Fruit Producers' Trust (DFPT), the body formed to establish a measure of consolidation following the deregulation of the industry in 1997, is to be phased out and replaced by a new organisation.

The new entity, HORTGRO Services, has with immediate effect taken over operational industry services for the country's deciduous fruit industry and functions for a range of industry bodies.

The management of HORTGRO Services will not differ from that of theDFPT, with Anton Rabe taking up the mantle of executive director.

'Hortgro Services will in future be responsible for administrativeservices and finance, as well as some functional services such astransformation and training, information, communication and socialprogrammes,' said Mr Rabe. 'All personnel have been transferred toHORTGRO Services and will continue to provide services and assumeresponsibility for all the current industry entities within its scope.'

This is, according to industry members, just the first step in establishing a 'super body' – HORTGRO SA – which is expected to become operational as soon as necessary legal requirements have been concluded.

Mr Rabe said that the operational consolidation in HORTGRO Services would be carried further with the establishment of a HORTGRO SA identity and profile.

'This will be established as a section 21 service company to act as a national communication platform for its members to address collective issues over the industry value chain,' he added.

Under the new system, various horticultural associations will affiliate with the new body to jointly deal with shared strategic issues in a more effective manner. Mr Rabe noted that this would not impact on the individual responsibilities of bodies such as SAAPA, SASPA and DFTS. However, other functional industry service structures will be renamed or linked to HORTGRO SA to reflect the new industry structure.

DFPT will, according to Mr Rabe, be maintained for some time to ensure that a range of contracts and agreements are upheld. 'As soon as these agreements are due to expire of need renewing, it will be renewed within HORTGRO Services,' he explained. 'Pome and stonefruit statutory levies will also be collected within DFPT Finance, the entity that accounts to the Auditor General and the National Agriculture Marketing Council.

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