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About us
The Southern African Macadamia Growers’ Association (SAMAC) is comprised of macadamia nut growers, processors and marketers.
Our mission is to lead the development of a profitable and sustainable industry in the common interests of members through technical and marketing innovation.
Our goals are to:
- Act in the common interests of our members
- Determine technical research needs
- Continually improve technology transfer and support and communication mechanisms
- Increase technical and marketing interest studies and research
- Establish generic market development programmes both locally and abroad that will increase consumer demand to meet increased supply
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Board of Directors
SAMAC is governed by a board of directors made up of grower representatives from different production regions, as well as processor representatives.
Funding
SAMAC is funded by its grower members who pay a production levy of 17.1c/kg [VAT included] Dry-in-Shell nuts processed. The levy is collected by the processors and paid over to SAMAC in 4 instalments annually.
Services provided to members
SAMAC uses the funds collected to finance research and the dissemination of research results in an easily readable format so as to provide practical and useful information to growers, processors and marketers. The information is distributed to members through:
- Technical staff
- In a Nutshell newsletter*
- The Annual Yearbook [symposium proceedings]
- The Quality Assurance Handbook*
- The Macadamia Growers Handbook* and
- The SAMAC website
- *printed in full in both English and Afrikaans
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Further co-ordination of industry activities is made possible through working committees:
Technical Committee:
- Prioritise industry research needs;
- Advise board on research programme and budget;
- Arrange workshops and annual symposium.
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Processors Workshops:
- Inputs to Quality Assurance Handbook;
- Implement uniform Quality Assurance Procedures in factories;
- Conform to SAMAC macadamia quality specifications.
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Nursery Association:
Ensure supply of uniform quality plant material to growers
Market development committee
This committee is responsible for initiating generic market development activity in order to increase consumer demand to meet the increasing supply of macadamia nuts. Media campaigns promoting the culinary versatility and healthfulness macadamia nuts are currently the focus of this committee.
Administration and Extension services
As from 1 October 2006, SAMAC’s Administration and extension services have been outsourced to the South African Subtropical Growers’ Association (Subtrop). Subtrop is an association of associations made up of the SA Mango, Litchi, Avocado and Macadamia Growers’ Associations.
Subtrop’s offices are located in the Prosperitas Building at 27 Peace Street Tzaneen.
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