Coronavirus Not Being Felt Yet by U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Groups
March 11, 2020 [UPDATED March 12, 2020] If the coronavirus (COVID‐19) is going to affect the California Fresh Fruit Association, it’s going to have to wait. For now, it’s business as usual for the Fresno-based organization.
“The honest reality is that coronavirus isn’t impacting our organization at this time ― specifically because we are not harvesting yet,” CFFA President Ian LeMay said Tuesday. “Now, if we’re sitting here 120 days from now, we might be having a different conversation. But where we’re sitting right now, we have not seen an impact.”
LeMay added that, even if the virus has begun to affect foreign markets, his CFFA members have not yet been impacted.
The same holds true for the association’s 84th annual meeting, which starts Sunday in Laguna Beach, CA, and runs through March 17. In the midst of nationwide cancellations of trade shows, sporting events, and university classes, the CFFA event will go on as planned.
“Our leadership decided to go forward,” LeMay said.
As for the general public, consumers should proceed as usual when buying fresh fruit at the grocery story, LeMay said.
“From everything we’re being told right now, the virus cannot be transferred from a piece of fruit or fresh produce,” he said. “Until authorities tell us otherwise, I would encourage the public to listen to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) instructions.”
Earlier in the day, United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel said his produce association is maintaining “close contact” with national, state, and local public health officials to understand the potential impact of the virus on the health and safety of its members and attendees at association events.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely to always put our constituents’ safety first,” Stenzel said, noting that all United Fresh meetings and events continue to be scheduled as planned, including its annual convention and expo June 16‐19 in San Diego.
“Face‐to‐face meetings are a cornerstone of our success in the fresh produce industry, bringing together customers, suppliers, and colleagues from across the industry,” he said. “Together, we learn, we explore new technologies, and we forge business partnerships to better serve our consumers around the world. Our mutual effort to deliver the highest quality, healthiest, safest and best‐tasting fresh fruits and vegetables to consumers is our high honor. We will continue to work together to achieve these goals, in accordance with government public health advice and expertise.”
In Italy, however, promoters of the ninth International Strawberry Symposium have postponed their event until 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. It had been scheduled for May 2-6 in Rimini.
[Related Content: How Coronavirus Is Impacting the Specialty Crop World so Far]
The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) also has announced the postponement of its Viva Fresh Expo, which was slated for April 30-May 2 in San Antonio. A statement from TIPA reads as follows: “Because the health and safety of our attendees, exhibitors, staff and volunteers are our No. 1 priority, we will not be moving forward with the Viva Fresh Expo as scheduled on April 29 – May 2. We are reviewing options for either postponement or cancellation and we’ll keep you updated on our progress.”
More info can be found at https://vivafreshexpo.com.
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