PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO - Last week, AMHPAC hosted its 8th Annual Convention, successfully bringing together nearly 400 members of the industry and over 100 AMHPAC Grower Members.

Members from the Sinaloa, Edo de Mexico, Jalisco, and Guanajuato major regions all came out to join in the fun, informative event that looks to address the changing landscape of the produce industry.

The key terms heard around the show and addressed by panelists were the growth of the organic category in the country, social responsibility in the industry, and better financial tools for growers in Mexico.

All in all, this year’s attendance broke last year’s by more than 160 people.

The event kicked off on Wednesday, August 26th, with produce industry members reuniting and catching up as everyone anticipated the coming events of the two-day experience in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Early Thursday morning, runners met for AMHPAC’s second annual marathons, one a 5K and one a 10K. Later in the morning attendees were treated to an opening ceremony in the Expo Buganvilia Hall in the luxurious Sheraton Buganvilias, after which everyone broke to browse the floor of over 50 exhibitors.

On the educational side, the show brought forth panels to address some of the key successes and focuses of the ever-changing produce industry, and Mexico’s part in that industry.

Seed and Food Systems Expert and Strategist Erica Renaud of Vitalis Organic Seeds moderated the panel on organic culture and contributed a high-level view of the marketplace and market opportunities. During this seminar, key current topics were addressed, including:

• The Mexican government's organic certification process and its efforts to harmonize with the U.S., Canadian, European and Japanese programs.
• Insights into growing organically and things to watch out for.
• Market approaches and what to be aware of when exporting or selling organic products.

Matt Mandel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at SunFed, was one of the panelists for this segment.

“The AMHPAC convention is a tremendous conference not only for greenhouse producers but for anyone that wants to be in the know of what is happening in Mexican agriculture," Matt tells me. "Some of the best growers in the country coupled with rich, educational panels cover a multitude of important topics to stay at the forefront of the industry. Great people and great networking opportunities abound.”

Among these influential and informative discussions were dinners perfect for networking new connections and touching base with past ones. Among them were almost 20 companies from distributors, marketers, wholesalers, retailers and supermarkets including:

• Del Fresco Produce
• Double Diamond
• Greenhouse Produce Company (GPC)
• Jetro Restaurant Depot
• Lakeside Produce
• Limex Sicar Ltd
• Loblaw
• McAllen Produce
• SunFed
• SUNSET® Mastronardi
• Westmoreland/TopLine
• Wholesum Family Farms

Check out some of the highlights from this year's convention in the video below.

Overall it was an exciting and educational experience packed into a couple of days that flew by. Thank you to AMHPAC for the invitation to attend, and we look forward to the 9th Annual Convention next year!

AMHPAC