Table grape association South African Table Grapes (SAT) has completed its unbundling process from the South African deciduous fruit organisation, the Deciduous Fruit Producers' Trust (DFPT), in a move which has been heralded by many as a crucial step towards positioning the grape industry for future growth and bringing a greater focus to its activities.
SAT’s departure from the DFPT represents a major new alignment in the deciduous fruit sector, particularly as it appears as if efforts to resurrect the floundering Fruit South Africa initiative through the creation of a 'super' South African fruit industry body, the so-called Industry Bus-project, have floundered.
Both the Citrus Growers Association and the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) are reported to have withdrawn from the initiative and Fresh Produce Exporters' Association spokesman Stuart Symington conceded that the objective is probably not attainable at the present moment.
'This is a new era for the table grape sector,' remarked Elaine Alexander, executive director of SATI, who joined the organisation nearly four years ago. 'SAT initially developed a strategic plan which included the establishment of SATI in order to perform its market access and knowledge management functions, but now SATI has become the operational arm of SAT.'
Ms Alexander added that SAT and SATI will still make use of the DFPT services where it makes sense. 'DFPT is still helping to administer our research programme, but SAT makes the strategic and budgetary decisions and will also deal directly with research organisations where necessary,” she explained.
She confirmed that the table grape sector's commitments to the DFPT in respect of joint industry functions will also end after this season. 'We will obviously be looking to work with other sectors where it makes sense and cooperation with the Citrus Growers Association in the field of information systems is a good example of this,' she noted.
In order for the South African grape industry to be internationally competitive at a time where retailers are placing increasing demands on producers, Ms Alexander told Newsline there has to be a pure focus on the product: 'We are seeing this trend elsewhere in the world, such as the highly respected Californian Table Grape Commission.'
