Ministers from key Southern Hemisphere producing countries line up to speak at the Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Trade Congress, which takes place online on March 30.

Event organizer SHAFFE (Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters) said their participation demonstrates that the fresh produce trade has gained significant recognition at the government level in a continuing period of rising costs and supply chain disruptions. of supply.

Esteban Valenzuela, Minister of Agriculture of Chile; Fernando Mattos Costa, Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay; David Littleproud, Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia; Peru's former Agriculture Minister Milton von Hesse and Phil Houlding, Director of International Policy at New Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries, will give keynote addresses at Wednesday's conference.

“The five government representatives will honor the fresh produce industry as a key pillar for food security, for a sustainable future and as a strategic element for their future growth strategies,” said SHAFFE.

"With these contributions, the Southern Hemisphere's fresh produce industries have demonstrated that their valuable contributions to global public health and nutrition are increasingly becoming the focus of public debate."

SHAFFE said the interventions come as southern hemisphere exporters brace for a challenging season mired in uncertainty created by Covid in China, cost increases and ongoing supply chain disruptions in northern hemisphere markets.

SHAFFE President Charif Christian Carvajal said that the congress was created "to become our platform to exchange information about the upcoming season with our colleagues in the southern hemisphere, as well as with our business partners in the northern hemisphere markets."

This year's congress will discuss current market access developments in China and India together with industry experts Kurt Huang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Fruit Section of the China Chamber of Commerce for Foodstuffs and Native Products and Sumit Saran. , Director of SS Associates, a leading expert firm for the Indian import and retail sector.

Industry perspectives will be shared by exporters of major commodities to the Chinese and Indian markets, including Ben McLeod of New Zealand's Mr Apple, Jeff Scott of the Australian Table Grape Association, Mario Edwards of the Chilean supplier of Agrofruta cherries, Jason Bosch Citrus South Africa. supplier Origin Direct Asia, and David Bustamante from the Peruvian blueberry grower and exporter Grupo Cerro Prieto, Peru.

The executive directors of Agrícola Famosa of Brazil; CAFI (Argentine Chamber of Integrated Fresh Fruit Producers), the Fruit Producers Consortium of Peru and Urud'Or of Uruguay will discuss the impact of current cost increases accelerated by the geopolitical situation.

Ron Lemaire, President of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Anton Kruger of FPEF, Ronald Bown of Asoex and Terry Meikle, CEO of New Zealand Apple and Pears will also speak at the event.

The congress will be in English with simultaneous translation in Spanish and Chinese.