The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announced on March 7 it will hold an in-person meeting with Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) on April 19-20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
The meeting is being held in Room 107-A of the Whitten Building at 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC, and is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited space.
The FVIAC noted, “Persons or organizations wishing to make oral comments must pre-register by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 3 using the registration form at this link. Attendees can register for only one speaking slot.”
In its press release, the USDA agency said, “AMS is excited to engage with the industry representatives on ways the agency could improve data visualization with market reports and optimize inspection and grading services through technological advances or artificial intelligence (AI).”
In addition to those topics, other agenda items may include but are not limited to administrative matters; presentations by subject matter experts pertaining to labor and production; food safety; infrastructure and sustainability; consumption and nutrition; and data reporting and analysis.
Meeting details and information on the public comment period can be viewed in the Federal Register notice published on Feb. 27, 2023.
Written comments related to the fruit and vegetable industry can be submitted at regulations.gov. For special accommodations, contact Darrell Hughes, FVIAC Designated Federal Officer, at SCPFVIAC@usda.gov or by phone at (202) 348-2576.
USDA established the committee in 2001 to examine the full spectrum of issues facing the fruit and vegetable industry and create a forum to provide suggestions and ideas to the department on ways to improve programs to meet the changing needs of the produce industry. Committee members represent a broad cross-section of the industry.
