Marketing of Agricultural Products Amendment Bill is open for comment

The purpose of the Bill is to:

• further redefine certain definitions
  
• redefine the mandate of the National Agricultural Marketing Council
  
• clarify the role of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in agricultural marketing
  
• further clarify matters connected to the management and utilisation of statutory levies and agricultural industry trust funds
  
• provide for public trusteeship of the nation's agricultural and food markets
  
• provide for assignments and delegations
  
• provide for the monitoring, evaluation, assessments and reporting
  
• provide for the national monitoring of provinces

Interested parties and the public are invited to submit comments on the Bill by the deadline of 14 August 2013. Written comments should be mailed to H M Mamabolo Private Bag X15, Arcadia 0007 or faxed to +27 (0) 12 319 8131 or e-mailed to az.vog.ffad@MalagoM or az.vog.ffad@MD.AP.

Those who are interested in making further oral presentations should indicate that on their written submissions. Public hearings will take place between 1 July and 14 August 2013 at various venues that will be communicated to the public in due course.

Copies of the Bill may be obtained from the Directorate: Marketing using the contact details provided above or from the DAFF website www.daff.gov.za.