Government denies changes to farm-export rules based on race

South Africa’s government rejected reports that new regulations have been introduced to restrict farm-export quotas based on race.

The Johannesburg-based City Press and Rapport newspapers reported on Sunday that farms deemed “too White” will no longer be able to export their produce to the UK and the European Union, citing Government Gazette notices published on November 2. The guidelines will apply to agricultural businesses with a minimum annual turnover of R10 million ($535,000), the papers said.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform & Rural Development publishes procedural requirements for export permits annually, it said in a statement sent by text message on Monday. They include complying with sanitary, phytosanitary requirements, rules of origin and other factors contained in bilateral agreements, the department said.

The articles “misrepresented the government’s message about the procedure and annual application for export permits,” it said. “These requirements are not new, and there is no threshold or level that an applicant must reach to be awarded a permit.”