The 2013 America Trades Produce Conference & Expo, March 6-8
February 11, 2013 | 2 min to read
MISSION, TX – The 2013 America Trades Produce Conference & Expo, scheduled for March 6-8, 2013 in McAllen, Texas is right around the corner and conference organizers predict it will be bigger and better than ever.
“We have a tremendously exciting lineup of speakers and topics, and we’ve generated some real interest in the produce expo, which is new this year.” said Bret Erickson, President of TIPA. “As we hit the home stretch, it looks like we’re on pace for another successful event.
This is the 3rd annual ATP, a collaboration between the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) and the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA). The event focuses on bringing together all sectors of the produce supply chain, with a special emphasis on US-Mexico relations.
This year’s ATP features a number of topics ranging from policy centered discussions to food safety analysis and marketing panels.
“A Shared Border, A Shared Future: Improving Regulatory and Market Access Cooperation” and “The Powers that Be” will focus on the impact of a second term Obama Administration and a new Pena Nieto Administration. The conference agenda also lists several panels including an inter-agency panel discussion between USDA-APHIS, FDA, and CBP, as well as a Food Safety table top exercise, a continuation and evolution of a similar exercise held last year in Nogales which got rave reviews from the audience.
Lance Jungmeyer, President of the FPAA, said “Once again we will bring together some of the top officials who matter to bilateral U.S.-Mexico trade, into an environment where industry can interact with these officials.”
High level government officials from both the US and Mexico will be in attendance and are slated to discuss important initiatives and collaborative efforts aimed at increasing trade between the two countries.
“Congressman Henry Cuellar is the invited keynote speaker on the final morning, and we’re very eager to hear the Congressman’s thoughts on key areas such as border security, immigration reform, and how the government intends to address the need for additional resources at the border in order to improve the flow of trade.”
Erickson explained that one of the new components of this year’s event is the addition of an expo focused on showcasing fresh in-season product from importers and domestic growers. “We’re making a big push to have retailers come see the high quality products our folks have to offer. We’re already seeing a commitment from a number of retailers and we know they’ll be pleased with what they see.”
“Our industry is experiencing tremendous growth, and there are certainly some growing pains that come with that. The 2013 ATP & Expo is an event that will stimulate the type of thinking and dialogue necessary to ensure that we can address industry issues and continue to be successful.” said Erickson.
Additional registration and conference information can be found at www.americatradesproduce.com.
Source: Fresh Produce Association of the Americas