Avocados Australia Welcomes New Chairman - 18/01/2010
Avocados Australia Welcomes New Chairman
Avocados Australia has a new Chairman. Mr Jim Kochi, an avocado grower of 32 years from Far North Queensland, has been voted the Chair of the national peak industry body for avocados.
The Avocados Australia Board during 2009 implemented a planned transition to a new Chair on 1 January 2010. Mr Henry Kwaczynski, who was Chair from 2006 through 2009 stepped down to allow other Board members to build capacity and experience in the leadership role.
Another key aspect of the change is that Avocados Australia has been privileged to be selected as the host organisation for the VII World Avocado Congress in 2011. The Congress will be held in Cairns 4-9 September 2011, www.worldavocadocongress2011.com and Mr Kochi is the local Director for North Queensland. He will have a key role in ensuring the Congress is a success.
Mr Kochi has been a member of the Board for seven years. He has also been Chair of the North Queensland Avocado Growers Cooperative Association Ltd (Shepard Australia) since 2001.
“I am pleased to have the confidence of the Board and the industry” said Mr Kochi, Chair of Avocados Australia.
“We will continue to work hard to ensure that avocado growers have the best services and opportunities to maintain a profitable business” Mr Kochi explained.
Photo (high res) of Mr Jim Kochi can be downloaded by selecting this link.
For further comment:
Jim Kochi, Avocados Australia Chair on 0422 133 890
Antony Allen, Avocados Australia CEO on 0438 132 477 or 07 3846 6566
Avocados Australia Limited is the Peak Industry Body in Australia for Avocados. We are a "not for profit" membership based organisation. Our members are Avocado growers along with associated businesses and industry people.
Avocados Australia seeks to work with all parts of the chain from production through to the consumer. By working together we seek to continually improve the ability of growers to provide a healthy, profitable and safe product for all consumers. As part of this continual improvement we guide a "research & development" and "marketing and promotion" program for the Australian Avocado industry.
The Australian Avocado industry comprises 1200 growers across the country and produces 47,000 tonnes of Avocados each year worth $AUD140 million at farm gate and $380 million at retail level. Key growing areas are North, Central and Southeast Queensland, Northern and Central New South Wales, the Sunraysia or Tristate area (South Australia, Victoria and South Western New South Wales) and Western Australia.
For more information Media Resources or Avocado News or contact Avocados Australia at ceo@avocado.org.au
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