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Kruger stepped down after nearly 14 years in the position and has agreed to work closely with De Jager until the end of the year.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, De Jager said his immediate priorities were to understand the FPEF’s internal culture, strategic landscape, stakeholder relationships, and operating environment.
“As a team, we will be reviewing our strategy to determine if we are still on the right track in an environment that is constantly changing. This might result in refining some of the priorities and aligning the organisation accordingly. The question we have to answer is how FPEF 3.0 will look and operate to continue to add value to our members and stakeholders,” he explained.
De Jager is a chartered accountant with experience across several agriculture-related businesses and has held senior positions at companies such as Agrimall Africa and AgriSA Enterprises. He also worked for Deloitte Consulting, with agricultural clients across Africa.
Before that, he was involved with his family’s farming business in KwaZulu-Natal, producing Queen pineapples for local and international markets and running a Brangus stud farm.
He said he believed his experience would benefit his new role at the FPEF.
“The experience has given me first-hand knowledge of the on-farm challenges that our producers experience and how they are sometimes unaware of the workings of the rest of the agricultural value chain.
“Conversely, decisions down the chain could have immense practical and financial implications for producers. The FPEF can play a key role in bridging the information gap that often exists between the role players across different commodities,” he explained.
De Jager added that his experience across the agricultural value chain had equipped him with skills in strategic relationship building and development, and his knowledge of policy, trade, and market development would help move the FPEF forward in what he described as “this critical stage”.
“I believe the FPEF has a critical role to play in safeguarding the future of South African fresh produce exports. With the right leadership, we can expand market access, accelerate transformation, and help members navigate increasing complexity.
“I bring the experience, networks, and strategic vision to lead that journey. It is an honour for me to help shape the FPEF’s next chapter, in service of our members, our industry, and our country,” he concluded.
