PHARR, TX - Celebrating fresh produce is an everyday thing here at AndNowUKnow, which is exactly why we couldn’t pass up the news of Pharr International Bridge’s Start of the Produce Season event. Produce lovers across the region recently gathered on October 7 to reflect on the bridge’s undeniable role in the success of the fresh produce industry.

“This event really highlighted the importance of investing in infrastructures such as our future regional ag lab and training center and the future cold inspection facility expansion, as well as the ag internships that support the training of our future Ag Inspectors through our partnership with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the South Texas Assets Consortium,” says Bridge Director Luis Bazán.

The Start of the Produce Season event celebrates the official kickoff of the fresh produce season for Pharr International Bridge, which crossed nearly 200,000 shipments of produce alone last year. Over 200 produce sponsors, suppliers, state officials, members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and more gathered at the bridge to spotlight the fresh produce industry and the bridge’s critical role in the supply chain.

The event included valuable insight from Bazán; Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez; Jesús Sáenz, Consejo Mexicano de Comercio Exterior del Noreste President; as well as keynote speakers Felix Chavez, Chief Executive Officer of Junior’s Supermarkets; and Julian Alvarez of the Labor of the Texas Work Force Commission.

Pharr’s produce sponsors donated over 25,000 lbs of fresh produce, which attendees got to take home after the event. All of the remaining produce was donated to the RGV Food Bank.

“Last week’s event was a great opportunity in which we saw local, state, and international leaders beyond the produce industry promoting fruits and vegetables, as well as promoting the many other stakeholders in the fresh produce supply chain,” adds Dante Galeazzi, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas International Produce Association. “These leaders spoke of issues that have been overcome, challenges that remain, but mostly they spoke about the connectivity of fresh produce to the local and the national communities. Those synergies are what makes this event so unique, because it celebrates all the partners and their importance in making fruits and vegetables available to consumers everywhere.”

In addition to supplying the community with high-quality produce in celebration of the start of the season, the CBP Agriculture Inspector student interns assigned to the Pharr bridge were also honored during the event.

Those honored included:

• Alissa Rangel, who graduated in December 2020

• Irma K Jacquez, who graduated in May 2021

• Odaliz Sauceda, who graduated May 2021

• Ashley Wals, whose anticipated graduation is December 2021

Congratulations to the Pharr International Bridge on another successful year and exciting event! Keep reading ANUK for the latest and greatest updates in the industry.

Pharr International Bridge Texas International Produce Association