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The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) appointed Jane Strijdom as the new manager for the South African IFPA branch.
“I hope to leverage the success of IFPA’s past to enable our current and future members to build strategic local and international relationships within the fresh produce industry going forward,” Strijdom told AgriOrbit.
Strijdom, who is now IFPA’s main contact person in South Africa, wants to provide excellent service to existing members while recruiting new members. She said that IFPA welcomes anyone who is involved in the fresh produce industry since it is the only association that caters to the entire fresh produce supply chain. IFPA’s mission is to deliver value to its members and connect them with the industry.
Even though IFPA is based in the United States, the association strives to be an organisation that represents members internationally. “We operate in China, Chile, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Europe and South Africa. Therefore, we can help local companies with queries surrounding market access, protocols, retail information, international trends and much more in any of our operational countries,” Strijdom said.
Read more about the 2023 IFPA conference here.
In a statement, Miriam Wolk, IFPA’s chief membership officer, praised Strijdom for her dedication to member services and her insight into the needs of regional members since joining IFPA in 2020. She said Strijdom’s leadership and expertise in the local fresh produce industry make her the perfect candidate to steer IFPA’s growth and improvement in South Africa.
The association invested additional resources to provide comprehensive support to the local IFPA team. The goal is to develop marketing and communications resources, which will in turn meet the needs of members.
“With this structure and the continued dedication of our team, IFPA will reach new heights in providing world-class membership to the fresh produce industry of South Africa,” Wolk said. – Susan Marais, AgriOrbit
