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GREENED UP

SANA NURSERIES RE-OPENED

After the National State of Disaster was Again, extensive consultations with
declared, SANA held a ZOOM meeting government ensued, after which they
where it was decided to prepare conceded that horticulture, floriculture
documentation, infographics and posters and the entire value chain were all part
to assist its members in dealing with the of agriculture and as such, formed part
COVID-19 pandemic. They also decided of “All Agriculture” as listed in Section 1 of
to postpone their annual convention and the regulations. They further promised to
various other projects for the immediate have the regulations changed to avoid any
future. Their consumer marketing arm, confusion; we are still waiting for this.
Life is a Garden, was allocated additional
budget to ramp up marketing and convey On the 5th of May, SANA received
the message that gardening was not confirmation from the Department of
cancelled, as well as driving home the Agriculture allowing its members to open,
mental and physical benefits of gardening. subject to certain provisions. Members
were sent a “permit to perform essential
The green industry as a whole was not or permitted services” as well as guidelines
seen as essential and SANA decided for health and safety in the workplace.
to embark on an extensive lobbying
process direct to government through the As the regulations had not been changed
Ministers of Agriculture, Trade & Industry at that stage, they were still open to
and Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, interpretation and there were issues with
as well as through AgriSA. the South African Police Services trying
to close down some members’ (and non- nurseries again but fortunately, with the
The horticulture industry was already in a members’) operations. Fortunately, SANA help of the Department of Environment,
crisis due to water scarcity and restrictions, was able to defend these actions and they they managed to open again.
and could not afford to be locked down. all remained open. Bizarrely, florists were
Millions of rands worth of perishable plant being closed down but the large retailers Nursery restrictions during Level 4
material would potentially have to be all sold flowers and plants.
dumped and many businesses would be During Level 4 of the lockdown, the
faced with closure; SANA members were Everything went well for a while, and following restrictions (summarised here)
concerned that the entire industry could SANA members were trading responsibly were placed on nurseries:
collapse. Further to this, growers couldn’t without any major issues. Then the • no applications will be assessed for the
plant and there was a danger that there Department of Environment, Forestry registration of new nurseries;
would be no plant stock to sell in garden and Fisheries published a gazette on 14 • no applications will be assessed for the
centres come Spring. May, stating that nurseries were not inclusion of new species to existing
allowed to be visited by the public. This nurseries;
Fortunately, growers could continue in understandably caused major confusion • conveying, moving or translocating
a limited way, however they had no one throughout the industry, with nurseries of plant specimens for delivery or
to sell their goods to and a lot of plant again being closed in certain areas by the collection purposes is not permitted;
material was unfortunately dumped. SA Police Services. • conveying, moving or translocating
plant specimens is permitted provided
When the President announced that the SANA contacted the Department of that it is for essential purposes and that
country would move to Level 4 on the Environment as soon as it received the plant specimens are not moved across
1st of May, all interested parties were Gazette, and made enquiries as to the provincial borders.
encouraged to make submissions on validity of the directive they had passed,
the proposed levels. SANA again made as well as their authority to do so, since As the country moves to Level 3, fewer
submissions, as well as having submissions nurseries were deemed to fall under problems are expected but SANA will
sent through for the industry by AgriSA. Agriculture. They finally agreed to amend continue to work with government to get
These where done via the portal as well the regulations they had issued by the Level 4 regulations amended, as there
as directly to the Minister of Agriculture, removing the clause on nurseries. It was is always the possibility of having to move
but when the regulations were finalised believed that this clause was inserted for back up again. LSA
and published, SANA was dismayed to SANBI and forestry nurseries and they
notice that the words Horticulture and didn’t think of the confusion it would cause. For further information contact
Floriculture were removed from the drafts. The SA Police Services were now targeting Peter Runkel on 082 573 2223

Landscape SA • Issue 94 2020 17