Antonio Walker Fedefruta

Fedefruta, the official lobbying group for Chile’s fresh fruit growers, has announced that it has elected Antonio Walker Prieto as its new president to succeed the outgoing Rodrigo Echeverría.

Mr Walker, president of Fruséptima, is one of three new members of Fedefruta's nine-strong board of directors, and will serve a two-year term up to 2012.

Ramón Achurra Larrain and Andrés Santa Cruz López are the other new board members, working alongside first vice-president Christián Marin Allendes, second vice-chairman Domingo Romero Cortes, secretary Urzua Felipe Espinosa, treasurer Ismael Valdes Valdes, Francisco Toro Donoso and Mr Echeverría.

Elected to the role of president in 2006 and then re-elected in 2008, Mr Echeverría had overseen a number of initiatives during his tenure, including approaching Asoex to promote common interests and establishing the Fedesoft programme.