The Southern African Feed Manufacturers' Association was officially launched following an agreement at the Fourth Global Feed and Food Congress in Sun City, South Africa, under the auspices of representatives from the International Feed Industry Federation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The Southern African Feed Manufacturers' Association brings together representatives from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Mauritius as part of a regional feed manufacturers association that will have as their vision the harmonization of the feed industry in the region in order to further "safe feed for safe food."
Mario Sergio Cutait, the International Feed Industry Federation chairman, welcomed the establishment of the Southern African Feed Manufacturers' Association saying, "Africa will play a vital part in the global feed and food value chain in the years to come, and just like FeedLatina, this new feed organization for Southern Africa is an important International Feed Industry Federation supported initiative to strengthen the global feed industry and to start the process to provide Africa with one voice." Cutait added, "For example, the International Feed Industry Federation will be able to support the feed industry and regulators through the IFIF/FAO Feed Manual of Good Practices designed to increase safety and feed quality at the production level."
De Wet Boshoff, executive director of the South African Animal Feed Manufacturers' Association explains, "We envisage a regional feed manufacturers' body that can play a role in the harmonization of legislation and regulations in the region in order to enhance effective trade between member countries as well as creating a self-regulating regional industry with the same vision, namely safe feed for safe food."
