New Summerfruit NZ Board member, cherry grower, Jerf van Beek says summerfruit has always excited him.
‘I have been growing fruit in the Hawke’s Bay for more than 40 years and summerfruit has always excited me because of the eating pleasure.
‘I bring passion to the Summerfruit Board and plan to be strong representative for growers in the Hawke’s Bay. The industry is an exciting place to be and we need to promote this, if we are to attract more young people.’
Jerf says the Summerfruit Board has done a fantastic job over the past six to seven years to improve eating quality.
‘Now it is time to put the pedal to the floor to increase consumption as there are some real gains to be made by growing exports.
‘I am also keen to see what can be achieved by concentrating on root stocks. The apple industry has made considerable progress on the basis of root stocks. Today’s apple trees can be pruned and picked mechanically, and there is less chemical use.
‘The summerfruit industry needs to embrace technology, in the same way.’
Jerf replaces Roger Brownlie, who became Summerfruit NZ Board Chair in June 2021, having previously been Vice Chair – a role he re-assumed over the past year, when Trudi Webb took over the role of Chair from Roger.
The Summerfruit Board would like to once again acknowledge Roger for his leadership and direction, especially during Covid and in the aftermath to Cyclone Gabrielle in the Hawke’s Bay.
The new Vice Chair is Blair McLean.