After more than 14 years of dedicated service to the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz), exiting CEO of the organisation John Purchase bid farewell to farmers and role players in Mzansi’s agricultural industry.
In a heart-warming farewell message shared in the Agbiz newsletter, Purchase called on Mzansi’s agricultural producers and workers to build the sector.
“As a country, we face extraordinary challenges, but we must continue to build both social cohesion and the competitiveness of all our agricultural value chains through cultivated and respectful partnerships. A failure to do so will no doubt condemn us to a failed state and dire consequences,” he said.
Purchase, who retires at the at the end of December 2021, will be replaced by Theo Boshoff, currently head of Legal Intelligence within Agbiz. Boshhoff is designated to take over the reins as CEO of Agbiz as from 1 January 2022.
“I have had the most extraordinary journey and privilege to lead the Agricultural Business Chamber as CEO for more than 14 years, but as all things in the circle of life, it is time to step down as I retire as an employee from Agbiz this month,” Purchase wrote.
He described the Agbiz team is an exceptional group of people. He said he has the fullest confidence in their ability to steer the agribusiness sector in the right direction through the many challenges they will no doubt face.
Purchase thanked members of Agbiz for their unwavering support throughout his tenure.
“I want to especially also thank the personnel (Agbiz team) for their incredible commitment and dedication to serving members and the broader industry in building a growing, competitive, more inclusive and sustainable industry, often against the major headwinds of policy uncertainty, service delivery failures, droughts and natural disasters, biosecurity challenges, et cetera,” Purchase said.
ALSO READ: From outsider to new Agbiz CEO, we meet Theo Boshoff
Avocado growers optimistic
With South Africa’s first crop estimates for avocados for the new season expected in early January, growers say their crops are looking good, gaining in size and showing good quality.
In its global overview for avocados, FreshPlaza reported that at the moment South Africa’s late avocados from KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape are being sold locally where prices are more competitive than for exports.
South Africa’s avocado exports for the past season came to 15 172 246 of 4kg cartons.
The last export avocados from South Africa were recently flown out. However air freight prices have become “frightening”, a subtropical fruit marketer told FreshPlaza. This was as the result of the latest round of Covid-related border closures aimed at Southern Africa, it reported.
November is traditionally the month during which there is significant fruit drop in avocado orchards, but growing regions have so far not experienced the heatwaves and concomitant fruit drop of other years.
While it has been a cooler than usual first half of summer, producers have had to keep on their toes with their spraying programmes amid all the rain.
In Tzaneen the effect of hail will be felt in the upcoming season’s avocado crop, but in other areas, like Levubu and the Lowveld, growers are “cautiously optimistic”.
An avocado grower from the earliest area, Levubu, far northern Limpopo, whose avocados start around late January, says they’re very excited about the upcoming crop. The weather has been perfect thus far and they reckon their crop might be 15% up on last year.
ALSO READ: Avocados: South Africans love their ‘green gold’
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