The Potato Industry Development Trust 

The establishment of the Potato Industry Development Trust was  tabled as a requisite by the National Agricultural Marketing Council for the approval of the statutory measures for potatoes. In accordance with this requirement the Potato Industry Development Trust was established on 11 November 2004.

In terms of the current Ministerial approval the levies collected are paid into the Potato Industry Development Trust. The trustees are responsible:

• for the receipt and use of the statutory levies recovered according to the purposes set out in the Government Notice;
• to oblige the role-players to keep records and provide the Trust with monthly returns to ensure that the continuous, timely and accurate market information in respect of potatoes is made available to all role-players to take informed decisions; and 
• to oblige role-players to register. 

In accordance with the registered Deed of Trust of the Potato Industry Development Trust the object of the Trust is to receive the statutory levy on potatoes and potato products in terms of the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act, 1996 (Act 47 of 1996) and to authorise expenditure as set out in the relevant Government Notice, as may be amended from time to time for:

• Basic as well as applied agricultural research, including potato cultivar development and  evaluation, and the dissemination of all relevant technical information.
• The gathering, processing, analysing and compiling of industry related information,  including market statistics and the dissemination thereof.
• The creation of market access for emerging farmers (small and medium scale) including  development projects related to the potato production marketing chain.
• The development of foreign markets for South African potatoes; and 
• Generic promotion of potatoes.

The Trustees

The trust deed of the Potato Industry Development Trust determines that the following parties have a seat on the Trust:

Institutions	Current representative
Potatoes South Africa Potato Research Committee Potato Industry Forum (Operational matters) Potato Industry Forum (Financial matters) Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Mr G E Yzel	Mr. Ernst Yzel Dr F I du Plooy Ms S E Moolman Mr W M Fourie Mr N J Gondo

Institution to administer the continuation and implementation of the statutory measures

Potatoes South Africa, in terms of its appointment by the Potato Industry Development Trust, is the current administrator of the statutory measures. As a result Potatoes South Africa is responsible for the collection and administration of the levies as well as for the administration of the statutory measures pertaining to records and returns and the registration process.