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Presidents Report, December

Posted By HBFA | December 15, 2020

Reflecting on 2020, harvest and lock-down now seems a long time ago with so much taking place in the months since.  A national election, on-going border closures and a shrinking labour market have all defined the year.  But thankfully fruit growers are a resilient bunch of people and the challenges faced this year have helped bring us closer together as an industry.  We all face the same challenges regardless of the crops we grow and it has great to see our national product groups working closely together in Wellington to achieve the best possible outcomes for all growers.  There is still much work to be done to ensure all fruit can be harvested this season and the HBFA Executive Committee will strive to support it’s members in whatever way it can.

Amidst the global crisis, HBFA has navigated its way through a significant strategic review and I am excited about what the future holds for HBFA.  Despite significant changes to the outward face of the Association, our core purpose remains largely unchanged as expressed in our mission statement ‘To ensure the longevity of fruit growing in Hawkes Bay’.

I would like to thank all HBFA executive committee members, trustees, staff and supporters for the work they have done this year on behalf of the fruit growing community in Hawkes Bay. Many hours are volunteered freely and we would not exist without you.

I am really looking forward to meeting as many members as possible at our upcoming events in 2021, kicking off with the Industry Awards night in January at the new Toitoi Art and Events Centre, followed by the Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower Competition and Awards Dinner In June.

Stay safe and have a very merry Christmas.

Richard Pentreath
HBFA President 

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