SAMAC Participates in the National Agro-Processing Workshop

  • Date: 29 September 2025
  • Location: Pretoria South Africa
  • Conference Theme: AAMP as an antidote for market failures – The case of production schemes.
Driving Market Access and Inclusion in the Transformation Farming Sector
SAMAC was invited to participate in the recent Agro-Processing Workshop hosted under the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) framework hosted by the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC). The workshop explored market failures in production schemes to develop practical strategies that enhance competition, inclusion, and market efficiency for growers in various agricultural industries.

SAMAC presented an industry overview with a specific focus on market access failures for the macadamia industry. The session highlighted current progress, export market dynamics, and the strategic support required to ensure existing growers, new entrants and small-scale farms are participating competitively.

SAMAC Market Access & Development Manager, Kerisha Raghunandan.
Key themes from SAMAC’s presentation included:
  • The growth of South Africa’s macadamia industry.
  • The main areas where support is required for growers to access premium export markets.
  • The need for continued collaboration between government and industry in addressing trade, processing capacity, and compliance barriers.
  • The value of structured mentorship, crop quality, financial support and market access to ensure a market-ready transformation model.
Panel Discussion: Advancing Inclusive Participation

SAMAC also contributed to an expert panel alongside representatives from various commodity organisations including Milk SA, Red Meat Industry Services, and the National Department of Agriculture.

SAMAC Transformation Manager, Juandre Du Toit.
The discussion reinforced:
  • The critical role of value chain collaboration in reducing market entry barriers for the Transformation sector.
  • The need for well-structured and scalable farming models that are able to drive predictable, sustainable support.
  • How Transformation efforts must remain commercially viable, market-aligned, and long-term in nature.
Why Workshops Like These Matter

The AAMP positions Transformation not as a parallel system, but as a core part of a competitive, inclusive industry strategy. For SAMAC, participation ensures that the macadamia sector’s existing growers, cooperatives, and future growers remain represented in national decision-making spaces.

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