ATC231206: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on the Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B14 – 2021], dated 05 December 2023

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on the Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B14 – 2021], dated 05 December 2023.

 

The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, having considered the subject matter of the Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B14 – 2021] (National Assembly – Section 76), referred to it and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) as a Section 76 Bill, reports the Bill with amendments [B14B – 2021] as follows:

 

1. Introduction

 

The Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B14 – 2021], hereinafter referred to as the Bill, was referred to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (the Committee) on 29 July 2021 for consideration and report to the National Assembly (see ATC, 29 July 2021).  The Bill was classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) as a Section 76 Bill (see ATC, 16 August 2021).

 

The Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill seeks to address the weaknesses in the phytosanitary regulatory system of South Africa by repealing the Agricultural Pests Act, Act No 36 of 1983. The Bill provides for phytosanitary measures to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of regulated pests in order to safeguard South African agriculture and plant natural resources. The new phytosanitary measures will, in turn, support safe and fair international and domestic trade; maintenance of current export markets and establishment of new markets; crop production/food security programmes; economic growth and development; and job creation.

 

2. Processing of the Bill by the Committee

 

The Committee was briefed about the Bill by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (the Department) on 19 May 2023. The Committee advertised the Bill inviting members of the public and stakeholders or interested parties to submit written comments from 23 June to 21 July 2023. No written submissions were received. The Committee held deliberations on the Bill on 24 November 2023 and further deliberated as well as adopted a Motion of Desirability for the Bill on 01 December 2023l. On 5 December, the Committee considered proposed amendments and adopted the Bill [B14B – 2021] and this report.

 

3. Recommendation

 

The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, having consider the Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B14-2021] (National Assembly – sec 76), referred to it and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) as a section 76 Bill, recommends that the House adopts the Bill with the following amendments:

 

CLAUSE 15 (6)

 

1.         On page 12, in line 48, to omit “(5)” and substitute “(3)”.

 

CLAUSE 24(3)

 

2.         On page 14, in line 35, to omit “(2)” substitute “(2)(a)”.

 

 

Report to be considered.