Release No. 023-15

Contact:

Hakim Fobia (202) 690-0488

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2015 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee will meet March 10-11, 2015, in Washington, D.C. The meeting will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 10, and from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 11.

“I am pleased that this distinguished group of industry leaders is meeting again,” said Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Anne Alonzo, whose agency oversees the Committee. “With each meeting, we get more input on the impact of USDA programs and a better understanding of how to improve our services to support this key sector.”

At the meeting, Committee members will review the research and progress of each of the five working groups. Their key areas of concern focus on food safety and audit harmonization, agricultural labor issues, education and labeling, grant funding and pest detection research and response, and ports of entry inspection delays. The working groups will provide the basic structure for each recommendation, which is then fully developed, discussed, and agreed upon by the full Committee to send to the Secretary of Agriculture as a formal recommendation or statement. Due to the amount of work that goes into each subject matter area, every working group may not have a recommendation ready to present at every full Committee meeting. Subject matter experts may also provide presentations at the meeting, based upon the Committee’s request.

Committee members represent a broad cross-section of the industry, including fruit and vegetable growers, shippers, wholesalers, retailers, industry trade associations, importers, processors, foodservice suppliers, brokers, state departments of agriculture, organic producers and marketers, and farmers markets and food hubs. They bring diverse experiences and perspectives.

USDA established the Committee in 2001 to examine the full spectrum of issues facing the fruit and vegetable industry and to provide suggestions and ideas to the Secretary on how the department can tailor its programs to meet the changing needs of the produce industry. To date, the committee has met 14 times and developed over 60 statements and recommendations on issues ranging from food safety to USDA programs. AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program Deputy Administrator Charles Parrott serves as the Committee’s executive secretary.

The meeting is open to the public and will be held at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 107A, 1400 Independence Ave, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250. A legally acceptable form of photo identification must be presented by every attendee at the time of entry to the Jamie L. Whitten building. All attendees should pre-register their attendance. For details on how to pre-register, submit comments, or arrange special accommodations, contact Pamela Stanziani, designated federal officer for the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Program, at (202) 720-3334 or e-mail pamela.stanziani@ams.usda.gov.

Additional information on the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee is available online at: www.ams.usda.gov/fv. Details about the meeting will be published in the Feb. 26, 2015, Federal Register.

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