New South Wales banana grower Nicky Singh from Coffs Harbour has been elected president of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council at a meeting in north Queensland.
Tully grower Cameron MacKay was elected vice-president, Mareeba Mark Reppel as deputy vice-president, Tom Day from Carnarvon as treasurer, with board members being Mike Gaia (Innisfail), Peter Molenaar (Mullumbimby), Paul Johnston (Tully), and Adrian Crema (Tully).
ABGC is the national peak industry body representing the interests of Australia’s 800 commercial banana growers who collectively produce about 20 million cartons of bananas each year worth an estimated $350 million.
Mr Singh replaces Patrick Leahy who has led the ABGC for the past four years and who provided inspired leadership during the industry’s recovery from Cyclone Larry and in the push to establish a national banana levy.
“We thank Patrick for the enthusiasm and vision he brought to the top job which has left the organisation in such good shape,” Mr Singh said.
“I now plan to use the early part of my term as president to ensure a smooth transition to the national levy and to overseeing the formation of a national strategy for levy investment in the critical areas of plant health, research and development, and promotions.”
“I would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to departing director Mrs Vicky Kippin-O’Connor who has served the banana industry with distinction for more than a decade through some of our greatest challenges including the Papaya fruit fly outbreak in the 1990s and Black Sigatoka outbreak in 2001.
The ABGC board will hold its next meeting in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, in February 2008.
Contact Nicky Singh on 0402 214 800 or Tony Heidrich on 0427 987 499 for comment.
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