Croplife SA – SACOTA Workshop: 27 September 2023

SACOTA members recently participated in a mini-workshop held on 27 September 2023 at the Capital Hotel in Menlyn Maine. The workshop was organised by Croplife SA in collaboration with SACOTA. Technology developers from Croplife SA, representing Bayer, BASF, Syngenta and Corteva, were present to share their experience. This event provided a unique platform for SACOTA members to discuss the processes surrounding the registration of GMO events for general release and commodity release in South Africa.

This interaction significantly enhanced the attendees’ understanding of the regulatory procedures and requirements that govern the approval of genetically modified soybean and maize events within the South African context. Events approved for general release in South Africa and registered for seed multiplication need to be in sync with those approved in importing countries, otherwise South Africa cannot export to these countries. The same applies for imports.

The workshop showed SACOTA’s commitment to staying at the forefront of the ever-evolving regulatory landscape, ensuring responsible and compliant adoption of biotechnology in the nation’s agricultural sectors. The latest is the debate on New Breeding Techniques (NBTs). SACOTA members and CropLife members all agree that collaboration between the two associations is paramount for the success in the export/import industry in South Africa.