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Members of the South African fruit industry have been paying tribute to Japie Groenewald, founder of packer-exporter Betko Fresh Produce, who died in February following a car accident near Elgin in the country’s Cape region. One of the South African fruit trade’s most colourful members, Mr Groenewald was seen as a leading entrepreneur who helped to transform the country’s fresh produce business from its highly regulated form during the single-channel era to a free-market system that has seen exports double in little more than 15 years.

Stefan Conradie, the South African deciduous fruit industry’s product manager for stonefruit and topfruit, has joined the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. Mr Conradie has been appointed as chief director for rural development in a new venture introduced by Western Cape Agriculture Minister Gerrit van Rensburg, and has already started in his new role.

Dole Europe has announced the appointment of Mattias Engberg as its new chief financial officer, based in Paris. Responsible for the company’s Europe Finance, IT and Tax Teams departments, Mr Engberg will report directly to the organisation’s president Jean-Christophe Juilliard.

French tomato cooperative Savéol has announced the appointment of Yann Fourcade as sales manager. Mr Fourcade has previously worked in buying and procurement for French retailer Carrefour, as well as being involved in the international development of Carrefour’s quality network.

The Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex) has announced the appointment of a new chairman for the organisation until 2012. Juan Varillas Velásquez, executive director of local grower-exporter Gandules, will take up the post on 31 March, replacing the outgoing José Luis Silva Martinot.

Dutch producer organisation FresQ has confirmed the appointment of Arnold Reijers as commercial director following a recent restructuring of its sales division. Mr Reijers has worked as FresQ’s marketing manager since April 2009.

Adrian Olins has joined the board of directors of UK-based company BerryWorld as European Director, effective 1 February 2010. Mr Olins first joined BerryWorld in 2004, where he was initially employed as the group’s Spanish coordinator based in Huelva, Spain.

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