THE
SORGHUM TRUST
After
the termination of the Sorghum Board in 1997, all funds of
the Sorghum Board were transferred to the Sorghum
Trust. Such funds became the discretionary funds
of the Sorghum Trust, governed by the Trustees
in terms of the Trust Deed. The main objective of the Sorghum
Trust is to maximise the income of the Trust and
to provide funding for the benefit of the Sorghum Industry
- in particular for sorghum research & development projects
and the maintenance of information required by the Sorghum
Industry.
 The
Trust Deed provides for five trustees, who must each represent
of the following affected parties: The Minister of Agriculture,
Sorghum traders, Commercial sorghum producers, Emerging sorghum
producers and Sorghum processors.
Since
8 May 1998, the Sorghum Trust also acts as
Administrator of statutory levies: appointed as such by the
Minister of Agriculture. The statutory levies are administered
and accounted for separate from the Trust’s discretionary
funds.
When
considering project proposals for funding, the Trustees take
the advice of the Sorghum Forum into account. In respect of
projects funded from statutory funds, the Trustees are accountable
to the Minister of Agriculture and the Auditor-General, in
terms of respectively the Marketing of Agricultural Products
Act (MAP Act) and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
The
Trustees and Administrator are:
| Louis
Claassen |
Sorghum
Processors (Chairman) |
| Gideon
Morule |
Emerging
sorghum producers |
| Koos
du Plessis |
Commercial
sorghum producers |
| John
Gordon |
Sorghum
traders |
| Zolile
Duze |
Minister
of Agriculture |
| Leon
du Plessis |
Administrator |
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THE
SORGHUM FORUM
The Sorghum
Forum is an Association of Members, established after
disbandment of the Sorghum Board in 1997. The objectives of
this Association are as follows:
-
To
act in the interests of the Sorghum Industry and those
of the community and to deal with such matters as may
affect the common interests of the Members.
-
To act as a mouthpiece for the Sorghum Industry.
-
To consider and to motivate submissions to the Minister
for statutory measures.
-
To recommend to the Sorghum Trust that
funds be made available to be employed in the interest
of the sorghum industry in terms of the objectives of
the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act, 1996 (No.
47 of 1996).
-
To recommend to the Department of Agriculture any amendments
to the quality standards/regulations.
-
To consider and to motivate research projects to be conducted
in the interest of the Sorghum Industry.
-
To continuously keep all the Members informed regarding
the progress and results of such projects.
-
To identify new information to be collected and to apply
for statutory measures in this regard.
-
To keep the Members informed with regard to feedback on
submissions to the Minister and other institutional developments.
 Annually,
the Sorghum Forum invites acknowledged research
institutions to submit project proposals, which are evaluated
by the Research Project Evaluation Committee (RPEC) of the
Sorghum Forum. Proposals of the RPEC are
considered by the Sorghum Forum for approval.
Approved projects are then proposed to the Sorghum
Trust for funding.
The
Technical Committee of the Sorghum Forum
mostly advises the Sorghum Forum on aspects
concerning grain quality and sorghum grading.
The
Executive Committee and Secretary of the Forum are:
| Koos
du Plessis |
Commercial
sorghum producers(Chairman) |
| Gavin
Campbell |
Sorghum
Processors (Vice-Chairman) |
| John
Gordon |
Sorghum
traders |
| Piet
Louw |
Other
interest Groups |
| Leon
du Plessis |
Secretary |
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