AMS No. 012-11

Jimmie Turner (202) 720-8998

jimmie.turner@ams.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee will meet Feb. 28 to March 1 in Arlington, Va.

This is the final meeting of the committee. The current members were appointed in December 2009. The committee will convene 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 28, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 1 at the Hyatt Hotel Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway.

“We have valued the expertise of this Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee as we continue to support the fruit and vegetable industry,” said Rayne Pegg, administrator of USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service.

Topics of discussion at the advisory committee meeting will include the following: agricultural labor, food safety, local farmer/education initiatives, commodity purchasing programs, and working group reports.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. II), the Secretary of Agriculture established the Committee in August 2001 to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and to provide suggestions and ideas to the Secretary on how USDA can tailor its programs to meet the fruit and vegetable industry’s needs.

The meeting is open to the public, with seating available on a first-come basis. For details regarding how to submit comments or to arrange special accommodations, contact: Pamela Stanziani, designated federal officer for the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Fruit and Vegetable Programs, at (202) 690-0182 or email pamela.stanziani@ams.usda.gov.

Robert C. Keeney, deputy administrator of the Fruit and Vegetable Programs, serves as the committee’s executive secretary.

Additional information on this advisory committee is available on the Internet at www.ams.usda.gov/fv.

Details of the meeting were published in the Feb. 2, 2011, Federal Register.

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