The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE) has unanimously elected a new president and vice-president.
SHAFFE’s presidents and vice-president serve two-year terms, and in February 2025, Marta Bentancur’s term as president of the association ended. Over the past two years, Marta has reinvigorated the association and secured its financial and administrative stability. She led the association into very active times by setting up various working groups focusing on, for example, logistics, sustainability and market access. In addition, Marta drove the improvement of the association’s new collection and reporting system for statistical data on exports and production of fresh fruits in the Southern Hemisphere, which remains one of the group’s core activities.
The association’s staff and members would like to express their gratitude for all the work that Marta has done to enable the association to tackle all future challenges through open dialogue and collaboration between all players in the Southern Hemisphere fruit industry.
Taking over from Marta is Nathan Hancock, CEO of Citrus Australia, the peak industry body representing Australian citrus growers. In this position, Nathan plays a key role in supporting growers and exporters through market development, biosecurity initiatives, and industry advocacy. Nathan also serves as the chair of the Plant Health Australia Plant Industry Forum and as the chair of the Horticulture Council Market Access Committee, demonstrating his leadership in plant health and international trade policy.
Jorge de Souza, technical and project manager of Abrafrutas, Brazil, will serve as vice-president. Abrafrutas is the Brazilian Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Derivatives, which represents Brazilian fruit producers and exporters and promotes the growth of Brazilian fruit exports to international markets. Like Nathan, Jorge has decades of experience in the fruit industry, having worked inter alia as a banana grower, as operations director at Zeneca Seeds, and as president of Abanorte, a banana growers’ association, and Frutvale, a fruit cooperative.
Fhumulani Ratshitanga, CEO of Fruit South Africa, remains treasurer of the association. Fruit South Africa is the umbrella body for the South African fruit industry, representing the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, the South African Table Grape Industry, Hortgro, the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, and the South African Subtropical Growers’ Association. Like that of her colleagues on the SHAFFE board, Fhumulani’s career in the agricultural sector spans decades, having worked for the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and the Perishable Products Export Control Board.
SHAFFE thanks the new and the “old” president, vice-presidents and treasurer for their ongoing voluntary support of the Southern Hemisphere’s fresh fruit industry.
SHAFFE – the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters – represents the leading fresh fruit production and export associations in Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.
SHAFFE strives to contribute to environmentally, socially and economically sustainable value chains for fresh fruits from the Southern Hemisphere, bringing a myriad of benefits to consumers worldwide.
At the heart of SHAFFE’s work is its mission to connect fruit producers and exporters from the Southern Hemisphere and allow them to work together on defining topics for the fruit industry such as sustainability, food safety and market access. Indeed, the challenges are countless for growers and exporters as they strive to remain viable in an ever-changing trading environment. For over 30 years now, SHAFFE has offered a platform for players in the Southern Hemisphere’s fruit industry to face these challenges and exploit opportunities together.
