Having spent six years managing market development for industry services group Citrus Australia, Andrew Harty is taking on a new challenge with one of the country’s leading citrus producers, with a move to manage the group’s largest farm in South Australia.
Harty is leaving Citrus Australia on 18 December, and will take up his new Riverland-based role on 11 January.
Judith Damiani, CEO of Citrus Australia, told Asiafruit that Harty had played an instrumental role in the industry’s export development over the past six years.
“Andrew has made a huge impact in terms of developing markets, including addressing technical issues such as agri-chemical usage and food safety,” said Damiani. “He’s been developing a team focused on market access and has also made a big push into quality standards for the industry.”
“Though we are sad to see Andrew leave, we’re excited to know he will remain in the Australian citrus industry, and that we will continue to receive his full support as a grower member.”
Citrus Australia plans to recruit a replacement for Harty in the New Year, with Damiani noting that it would discuss the recruitment process during an industry ‘strategy day’ next week with board members and senior staff, which will focus on how the industry allocates resources to build on a highly successful season.
Australia’s citrus industry is enjoying a record export season, having shipped more than A$230-worth of product as of the end of September, with two months of the season still to run. Indeed, Damiani noted that the fortunes of the citrus industry have taken a dramatic turn for the better, with the sector in a very different position today than it was when Harty took up the market development position six years ago –export values averaged A$169m in 2009/2010.
“We’re seeing major growth in exports, and for the first time in a long time we see a lot of reinvestment in the industry. Confidence is returning,” she told Asiafruit. “A number of growers are buying more orchards or re-planting. It’s an exciting time.”
Damiani said Citrus Australia would be undertaking a global search for Harty’s replacement. “Andrew’s helped to establish a very strong foundation with our export development programmes for the new candidate to come in and build on.”
Harty said he had enjoyed “a fantastic six years” with Citrus Australia, adding that he looked forward to getting back into production at “a very exciting time for the industry'.
Having grown up on a citrus orchard in South Africa before working for one of the country’s leading lemon growers and later moving to New Zealand to work on a mandarin property, Harty said he was looking forward to “getting back into the thick of it” and “close to the coal face”.
“For me it’s the ultimate challenge putting together a great crop of fruit that is viable and to making the numbers stack up,” said Harty.
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