Jimmie Turner (202) 720-8998Jimmie.Turner@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2010 – On Wednesday, July 14 at 2 p.m. EDT, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will present a free interactive webinar, How to Sell Fruits and Vegetables to the USDA.
The webinar is hosted by Red Book Credit Services as part of its free Red Book University educational offering, and will be conducted by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which purchases fruits and vegetables from industry vendors for distribution to a variety of domestic nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program.
Annually, more than $478 million is spent on about one billion pounds of products. Wednesday’s webinar gives large and small fruit and vegetable growers and processors the opportunity to learn how to sell their products to the USDA and what products the agency purchases.
Following a formal presentation, participants in the webinar will be able to ask questions of agency experts.
This is the first in a three-part series. Webinars offered in August and September will provide additional information about the resources offered by the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Programs.
The second webinar, PACA – Your Partners in Produce, will be held Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. EDT. This session will detail how the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act Branch protects industry buyers and sellers of perishable fruits and vegetables.
The third webinar, USDA Fresh Products Market Inspection Basics, will be held Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. EDT. It will provide an overview of the inspection process, covering such topics as how to request an inspection, interpreting an inspection certificate, and how to appeal an inspection result.
For more information on how to sign up for any of these webinars, contact Christopher Purdy, Business Development Specialist, at (202) 720-3209 or via email at christopher.purdy@ams.usda.gov.
More information can also be found on our website at www.ams.usda.gov.
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