General Director of the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture (AMHPAC)

AMHPAC Congress 2022

1. Could you please tell us about the next AMHPAC Annual Congress?

This will be the XIV edition of the AMHPAC Annual Congress where the Annual Members’ Meeting will also be held. 

It is worth mentioning that the Congress is the top event of Protected Horticulture in Mexico, where the current situation of the fruit and vegetable industry will be analyzed, as well as the risks and opportunities that we face in the sector.

2. What is the main objective of the Congress and who is it aimed at?

Its main objective is to examine the international business environment and to strengthen relationships among the participating decision-makers.

The AMHPAC Annual Congress brings together national and international fruit and vegetable industry leaders, growers, government officials, supply chain representatives, researchers, and consultants related to this sector.

3. What are the main benefits that attendees obtain by participating in the Congress?

Participants can strengthen their relationships, generate business opportunities, and learn about important issues for the protected vegetable industry.

4. What is the general program of Congress?

The general program of the event consists of the following activities:

– On Wednesday, August 24, the General Assembly of AMHPAC Members will be held, where the activities carried out in the 2021-2022 cycle will be reviewed, and important decisions will be made for our guild, and in the afternoon, we will offer a welcome drink.

– On Thursday, August 25, the activities will begin with the 5K race, in which around 100 runners will participate; after that, the inaugural ceremony will be held and the cycle of conferences will begin, where we will bring together world-class expert speakers.

Simultaneously, the event will open a commercial area, which will feature the participation of more than 60 suppliers of supplies and services (AMHPAC Annual Sponsors), and to close the day’s work we will celebrate a Rock Beach Party.

– On the last day of the event, Friday, August 26, 3 conferences will be held, culminating with the keynote address by Enrique Quintana, vice president and managing editor of El Financiero, who will give us the economic outlook and the socio-political environment.

In addition to the lecture series and the commercial area, there will be meetings between growers and lawyers who are experts in the Tomato Dumping Suspension Agreement, as well as the 10th edition of the trade mission where there will be private meetings between growers and traders; some private investors and bank representatives will also participate.

5. How many attendees do you expect in this next edition?

We are excited to say that this year we are expecting the participation of 400 decision-makers related to the protected horticulture industry.

6. Which of the activities that will take place during the congress do you consider to be the most relevant for the benefit of the fresh produce industry?

All the activities are important; however, I believe that AMHPAC is committed to changing and improving the way of doing business and we believe that this meeting will allow attendees to generate new strategies and ideas to manage their companies.

7. In your experience, what have been the main business opportunities for attendees?

Decision-makers can meet with representatives of the best suppliers of inputs and services that allow them to grow their operations. In addition, this event is attended by businessmen and institutions that propose schemes to diversify products and markets, and that always helps to refresh the way of running the companies’ operations.

8. How important is it for growers to belong to agricultural associations such as AHMPAC and how important are events such as the Annual Congress?

It is very important to be part of National Organizations, in this case, AMHPAC, because in this way the growers are represented in adverse situations that may occur.

In the same way, AMHPAC has been looking after the benefits of its members for 14 years and it is a great help being an organization that coordinates the common interests of its members, in the same way, we help to promote their products and the strengths of the protected vegetable industry.