Developments in agricultural analytical services in Southern Africa

A(gri)LASA (Agri Laboratory Association of Southern Africa) has 75 member laboratories participating in quality audits that service different sector's in Agriculture, Horticulture and Environmental needs. Most laboratories are fairly small and only render a limited service. In 1968 Government and the private sector agreed to rationalise and centralise laboratory services in SA. As frequently happens the ideal did not prevail and soon afterwards everyone reverted to doing their own thing. In 1996 the major role players in the private sector re-evaluated their positions and as the trend to convert from Co-operatives to Companies gathered momentum, pressure on laboratories to become self-reliant increased. A complicating factor had always been that Government, to a large extent, subsidised analytical services in Agriculture. The first major amalgamation occurred with the combining of the laboratories of Northwest Co-operative, Outspan International (Previous Citrus Exchange) and the in-house feed laboratories of Meadow Feeds (Northern Region) to form a new company, Central Agricultural Laboratories situated at Pelindaba. CAL is the largest agricultural laboratory in Southern Africa rendering an extensive analytical and advisory service. The major private companies as well as Co-operatives make use of CAL's services. CAL is also contracted by Government to do all regulatory samples for Fertiliser, Lime, Growth Media and Animal Feeds. Advisory services related to soil, leaf, fruit, water and fertiliser analyses are available to clients. The establishments of satellite laboratories in other parts of Southern Africa are presently being investigated. Economy of scale obviously prevails and CAL, due to the large number of samples handled, has been economically viable within the first year of operation. The first major overseas contract, from a British company involved in Africa, has been completed.