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CHAPTER 3
The Maize Trust was registered on 31 August 1998 with the aim of making funds
available to the benefit of the maize industry in South Africa, specifically with respect
to the funding of:
• Market and production-related scientific and/or technical research with respect
to maize.
• The acquisition, processing and distribution of market information with respect
to maize and the maize industry.
• Market access with respect to South African maize, among other things by
providing marketing infrastructure, training and support in rural areas where the
need exists.
From 2000 to 2010, with its final dissolution, the Maize Board paid a total amount
of R319 million in donations to the Maize Trust. Initially the Maize Trust funded the
maize industry with between R30 million and R40 million per year, but in 2014 it
already amounted to between R50 million and R60 million.
The board of trustees of the Maize Trust comprises six trustees who are each
appointed for a term of two years. Three of the trustees are appointed by specific
sectors in the maize industry and the other three by the Minister of Agriculture.
The Maize Trust provides a home to organisations like SAGIS and the SAGL, which
provide essential support to the grain industry, in the Grain Building which was
developed by the Maize Trust in Pretoria.
Winter Cereal Trust
The Winter Cereal Trust was established when the Wheat Board was phased out,
and owes its existence to the need in the winter cereals industry for certain functions
carried out by the Wheat Board that had to be continued after the board had been
dissolved. This involved the provision of market information, laboratory services
and financing for research projects.
Initially two separate trusts were created for the winter cereals industry, namely
the Winter Cereals General Trust and the Winter Cereals Research Trust. However,
these were later combined in one trust, the Winter Cereal Trust.
At the request of the Winter Cereal Trust the Minister of Agriculture introduced statu-
tory levies that applied to wheat, barley, oats and durumwheat under the Marketing of
Agricultural Products Act of 1996 in order to finance the Trust’s functions with respect
to research and the acquisition and distribution of market information.