3. PURPOSE OF INSPECTION
• Prokon has been assigned by the Department
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to do
inspections of potatoes on all markets, DC’s
and shops in South Africa
• To inspect the potatoes to confirm that it
complies with the regulations (Regulation
R1031 of 12 November 2010 of the
Agricultural Products Act 119 of 1990)
• We currently do inspections on all the
markets in South Africa, except for Witbank.
• To ensure that when packed potatoes leave
the farm, it is correctly graded, packed and
marked.
4. Packhouses
• It is of utmost importance that your packhouse
employees are trained
• Inspect your packhouse equipment for sharp of
protruding edges that may damage your
potatoes
• Once the potatoes have been washed in a 1%
chlorine solution, drip dry the potatoes before
packing
• Sort the potatoes according to the sizes as
follows:
– Baby - 5 – 50gr
– Small - 50 – 100gr
– Small medium - 90 – 120gr
– Medium - 90 – 170gr
– Large medium - 150 – 250gr
– Large - 250gr +
5. Packhouses
• Potatoes should be handled with great
care
• Hygiene
• Use accurate scales to check the
weights of each bag
• Stack bags neatly on pallets
• Put a date code on each pallet for
reference on the market
• Using colour plate books
6. Packaging
• Printed bags must be marked with the
following:
• Producers name and address
• Size
• Class
• Cultivar
• Product of South Africa
• The word “Potatoes”
• Netto mass
• If any of the above are missing, the
consignment will be rejected and a directive
issued to the market agent and the producer
to rectify before being inspected again.
7. Questions
• Any questions regarding the quality expected
of bagged potatoes delivered to the markets?
