Fresh Notes: Packhouse Action Group (PAG) Meeting
Held on 9 March 2023
Website Feedback
Contact: Elise-Marie Steenkamp
- The PAG quick link on the Hortgro website continues to perform well.
- Top downloads:
- CA Manual Revised (31 January 2019) – 1298 downloads
- Fresh Notes 182 – PAG Feedback (November 2020) – 1105 downloads
- Container Handling Procedures – 1377 downloads
- Jaco Visagie – Trends in Container Technology and Supply – 2459 downloads
- Fresh Notes 186 – PAG Feedback (March 2021) – 964 downloads
- Page statistics (Nov 2022 – Feb 2023):
- 272 page views (164 unique)
- Bounce rate: 75%
- Average page view duration: 2:11 minutes
- The page continues to attract targeted visitors, with increased average view time and a stable bounce rate.
Logistics Chain Efficiencies
Contact: Jacques du Preez
- Wind caused significant port backlogs (over 200 hours lost in February, 500+ hours in the previous 3 months).
- Lack of experience and expertise hampered catch-up in the ports.
- Shipping lines, producers, exporters, logistics providers, and industry associations have voiced concerns.
- Equipment procurement (especially rubber-tyred gantries) is being advanced.
- Meetings held with Transnet; Public Sector Participation (PSP) discussed.
PPECB Operational Dispensations
Contact: Bernard Henning
- Temperature dispensation for loadshedding stages 4 and higher:
- Winter pears: 3°C
- Apples: 5°C
- Additional dispensations for Gala/Royal and Big Bucks approved (5.4kg vs 5.9kg pressure).
Plastics Strategy
Contact: Dr Malcolm Dodd
Environmental Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Contact: Bryce MacIntyre
- The POLYCO EPR plastic fee applies to both locally produced and imported plastic packaging.
- If manufactured/converted and sold locally:
- The packaging manufacturer/converter is the pay point.
- If imported:
- The importer is the pay point.
- Applies to primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging as per regulations.
Roles and responsibilities:
- Packaging Manufacturer/Converter:
- Raise the EPR fee (as a separate line item or included in price).
- Declare all imported and locally produced packaging sold into the SA market monthly and pay the EPR fee to Polyco.
- Complete Polyco’s Tonnage Declaration form monthly.
- Credit customers (brand owner/retailer/distributor) for exported packaging based on auditable proof.
- Ensure all packaging used in the business is covered by an EPR Scheme and check supplier compliance.
- Exporter/Packhouse:
- Check compliance with all suppliers (“suppliers in good standing” with different PRO providers).
- Different products have different providers (paper, metal, plastic, etc.).
- Do not limit compliance checks to “fruit packaging” only.
- Refund claims must be submitted monthly if pursued, but calculations suggest it may not be worth the effort.
- Ensure procurement procedures cover EPR requirements.
Packhouse Water and Energy Management Projects
Contact: Eddie Vienings
- Benchmarking projects continue.
- Water use:
- See figures for overall pome fruit packhouse water use indexes and water use profiles.
- Full water benchmark project report
- Energy use:
- See figures for overall packhouse energy use indexes, Rand per kWh electricity cost benchmarks, and cost per electricity source.
- Full energy benchmark project report
SIZA Environmental Standard requirements:
- Code 3.1 (c): Water consumption is measured at the main point of abstraction/disposal (using metered records) and does not exceed allocation figures. Where feasible, water consumption for major points (orchards/vineyards, packhouse, infrastructure, etc.) should also be monitored.
- Code 3.2 (a): A data collection tool is in place as the start of an annual recordkeeping process for all direct energy usage.
Market Access Feedback
Contact: Jacques du Preez / Lindi Benic
- Mexico: Inspector scheduled to arrive in week 15 for 5–6 weeks.
- Taiwan: Inspector currently in the country. 2023 fruit may be packed according to 2022 lists.
- India: In-transit cold sterilisation now in operation. Additional DALRRD capacity required for special markets.
- China: Three options for insect-proofing packaging:
- Cartons with no holes
- Gauze placed over holes
- Pallet shrouds (Hortgro funded additional shrouds to ensure availability)
- Packhouses must proactively place orders for shrouds.
- Thailand: Market access info submitted to Thai authorities in February. Hortgro hopes to engage a Thai national to facilitate the process.
- USA: Not permitted to load containers with different fruit types or packaging conformations.
PAG Disciplines and Coordinators
Please contact the relevant person if you have any queries regarding the PAG.
- Chairman: Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za)
- Engineering: Henk Ryke (henk@tad.co.za), Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za)
- Packaging: Dr Malcolm Dodd (malcolm@alaceraer.co.za), Bryce MacIntyre (bryce.macintyre@gmail.com)
- Environmental Footprint: Eddie Vienings (eddie@bluenorth.co.za), Hugh Campbell (hugh@hortgro.co.za)
- Packhouse Large: Francois Malan (francois.malan@cfg.co.za), Willem Coetzee (willem@dutoit.com), Fanie Grundlingh (fanieg@lanko.co.za)
- Packhouse Small: Hendrik Claassen (hendrik@bellafrutta.co.za), Thinus Loock (thinus@jjloock.co.za)
- Post-Harvest Quality: Dr Elke Crouch (elke@sun.ac.za), Henk Griessel (henkg@tru-cape.co.za), Jaco Moelich (jaco.moelich@fruitways.co.za)
- Logistics: Johan Strydom (pslog@mweb.co.za), Andy Connell (andy@abarc.co.za)
- Communication Strategy: Richard Hurndall (hurndallr@gmail.com), Koos Bouwer (bouweb@orangenet.co.za), Elise-Marie Steenkamp (elise-marie@hortgro.co.za)
- PPECB: Bernardus Henning (bernardush@ppecb.com)
- FPEF: Werner van Rooyen (werner@fpef.co.za)
- DALRRD:
- Director: Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Billy Makhafola (BillyM@daff.gov.za)
- Regional Manager: NPPPIS WC Directorate: Inspection Services, Gcobani Tsako (GcobaniT@daff.gov.za)
- Hortgro: Jacques du Preez (jacques@hortgro.co.za), Lindi Benic (lindi@hortgro.co.za)
- Research: Prof Wiehann Steyn (wiehann@hortgro.co.za)
- SIZA: Alistair Galloway (alistair@siza.co.za)