An industry leader from the Eastern Cape has been elected chairman of the Citrus Growers Association. The citrus industry contributes billions to South African foreign exchange earnings and employs hundreds of thousands of people
Hannes de Waal, an experienced marketer and company leader in the Eastern Cape, was elected as the new chairman of the Citrus Growers Association (CGA) on Friday, 25 March. He will be leading the board of this industry body that serves an industry that earns South Africa billions in export revenue for a two-year term.
De Waal has more than 26 years of experience in the industry.
"It is my privilege to serve our dynamic industry in this capacity. Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of observing the growth and resilience of a valley of smaller farmers who have worked hard to build professional businesses, distributing high quality fruit into local and foreign markets," said De Waal.
De Waal added that he believes that South Africa's agricultural sector is one in which benefits are enjoyed by all members of the value and supply chain - this is something they should continue to build on.
The CEO of the CGA, Justin Chadwick, congratulated De Waal on his appointment. "Hannes brings a wealth of experience to his new role and has served in various leadership positions in the citrus industry for many years," he said. "I look forward to continuing our work together with the aim of furthering the interests of our citrus growers when it comes to expanding market access and creating an inclusive, profitable, and sustainable industry."
Strong industry leadership
De Waal said that the process of establishing strategy is well structured within the CGA. "This is the result of a strong team effort that feeds off the fact that all board members are experienced citrus producers and businessmen," he said.
For more information: cga.co.za