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Today, members of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA) unanimously elected Mr John Said, Managing Director, Fresh Select as AFPA Chair for the 2022 term. Mr Said will take over from LaManna Premier Group’s Anthony Di Pietro who served as AFPA Chair in 2021.Mr Said co-founded Fresh Select in 1993, and has overseen the expansion of the business for nearly 30 years. In addition to his role at Fresh Select, Mr Said is also the CEO and Founder of Nutri V, a company that specialises in the development and manufacture of a range of vegetable powders from on farm food waste, for inclusion in food, beverage and nutraceutical products. Mr Said has also previously held roles on the PMA Global Board and as Chair of PMA-ANZ.”While most in industry thought 2021 could not be tougher than 2020, the changing environment as a result of COVID, created some of the toughest operating conditions in memory. Challenges with access to markets, labour and inputs have really pushed all producers to their limits. Under such difficult circumstances, I’d like to thank Anthony Di Pietro for his leadership of both the AFPA and the industry more broadly” said John Said, AFPA Chair.The election of a new Chair will see a refocus of the priority issues for the AFPA, with a renewed focus on gaining new and improved access to international markets, and industry sustainability, while continuing to monitor workforce challenges in the sector.”We’ve seen some really important workforce outcomes for industry over the past year, most notably the creation of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and the announcement of an Australian Agriculture Visa (Ag Visa). These programs, along with upcoming changes to the Horticulture Award are going to drive a structural change in the horticultureworkforce.”The structural adjustment to industry’s workforce now needs to play through and we need to shift focus on ensuring that fresh produce growers are able to access important, high value international markets to really grow the value of our sector” said Mr Said.Members of the AFPA are among Australia’s largest growers, suppliers and marketers of fresh produce. The AFPA remains funded by members, with no sponsor, Government or levy money contributing to the AFPA.”The AFPA is now a well-established thought leader in industry advocacy and a key force in driving collaboration between all industry stakeholders. In my new role, I look forward to ensuring that the AFPA continues to provide leadership and drive pragmatic solutions on core industry issues” said Mr Said.