The Roseville, Calif.-based California Prune Board has elected George Sousa Jr. of Mariana Packing Co. as its chairman for the 2020-22 term.
“My family has been in the California prune business since 1906 when the Silicon Valley was covered in prune orchards,” Sousa, president of Vacaville, Calif.-based Mariani Packing, said in a news release. “The leadership of the California Prune Board has never been more strategic and focused as it is today, and I’m looking forward to stepping into this role.”
Sousa said California prune growers and processors have experienced a lot of transition over the past few years.
“My fellow officers and board members are committed to working together to sustain the future of our industry,” he said in the release
Other California Prune Board officers are:
- Vice chairman: John Taylor, vice president of Taylor Bros. Farms, Yuba City, Calif.:
- Secretary: Dan Bozzo of Triple B Ranch, Gridley, Calif.; and
- Treasurer: Rajeev Davit of Davit Ranches, Yuba City, Calif.
The board will serve through May 2022, according to the release,
“The California Prune industry — like the premium fruit we produce — has shown a lot of resiliency,” Donn Zea, executive director of the California Prune Board, said in the release. “We have very dedicated leadership and we’re grateful to welcome new talents and perspectives as we continue our work in leading the world in premium prune production.”
The board’s priorities include:
- Nutrition research;
- Trade policy and market support;
- Industry unification;
- Production research; and
- Global visibility expansion for California Prunes.
“Our priorities are clear, and our new board is at-the-ready to unite growers and processors to drive research and promotions that support the California prune industry,” Zea said in the release. “As we look ahead and stay agile in a changing environment, we are optimistic about creating a world that is enthusiastic about California prunes.”
With more than 40,000 bearing acres in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, California provides 40% of the world’s prune supply and more than 90% of the U.S. supply, according to the release.
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