The second annual America Trades Produce (ATP) Conference will get underway on 21-23 March in Nogales, Arizona, according to a press release from organisers.
The event aims to analyse the essential steps to creating a 21st century US-Mexico border in order to survive the food safety tsunami, and also includes a tour of the new Mariposa port-of-entry.
Organisers the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) and the Texas Produce Association (TPA) said they are teaming up once again to bring the most timely, informative educational sessions available anywhere covering issues of immediate concern to cross-border trade in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Experts from the private sector and government in Mexico and the US will address such wide-ranging subjects as traceability, truck security, protected agriculture, the agony of a food safety outbreak, best production and shipping practices, working with custom brokers, lessons learned from the papaya episode, pest exclusion,recent developments surrounding insurance coverage, and congestion at the ports.
Regarding congestion, an important session will unveil results from the US Chamber of Commerce study “Steps to a 21st Century US-Mexico Border.”
Chamber representatives have been invited to participate in an interactive panel that will include other border stakeholders.
“There are some common sense solutions to making commerce flow at the border,” said FPAA president Lance Jungmeyer.”
“Unfortunately, there is a lack of common sense when it comes to Washington DC’s approach to the ports of entry, be they in Texas, Arizona or California.”
As a co-sponsor of the study, the FPAA said it is pleased to bring this information to the attendees of the ATP Conference.
“At the first ATP Conference a year ago, our two associations focused to bringing registrants the best speakers and most information dense sessions we possibly could,” said Texas Produce Association president John McClung.
“I have yet to talk to anyone who attended who didn’t think they got their money’s worth and more. But we learned from that first event, and we anticipate an even better conference this year.
“The produce trade between the US and Mexico continues to expand rapidly, but there are always problems along the way and we’ll take a hard look at those problems and what we can do to minimise them. And we’ll have fun while we’re at it,” he said.
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