The 2014 Fresno Food Expo presented by Union Bank will be held July 24 at the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center New Exhibit Hall, a shift from its traditional date in March. The date change will provide greater inclusion of more than 2,500 fresh produce growers and packers in the San Joaquin Valley.

In the years past, fresh exhibitors have accounted for approximately 20 percent of the show floor; however, organizers say the date change will likely increase that percentage by 20-25 percent.The Fresno Food Expo will be held in July this year, a shift from its traditional date in March. To date, 29 percent of exhibitors signed up are fresh.

“We were very pleased with the retailers and foodservice professionals we engaged with at the 2012 Fresno Food Expo, but felt it was hard to give them a true picture of our commodities as we are a grower, packer and shipper of cherries, stone fruit and grapes,” Stephen Rusca of Scattaglia Growers & Shippers said in a press release. “With the date shift to July, we decided to return to the Fresno Food Expo in 2014 to increase the Scattaglia Growers & Shippers ‘Sun Disk’ brand and showcase our fresh commodities to potential buyers.”

For SunWest Fruit Co. Inc., the steady growth and draw of the Fresno Food Expo got the company to exhibit as well as to sign on as a sponsor of the show.

“SunWest Fruit is pleased to support our local business community through our sponsorship of the increasingly popular Fresno Food Expo,” Doug Sankey, sales manager of SunWest Fruit Co. Inc., said in the press release. “By moving the show from March to July, it allows us to display our fresh seasonal produce and really highlight the flavor and quality of our fruit while networking with produce buyers.”

The following fresh food producers have already registered for the 2014 Fresno Food Expo: 1st Quality Produce, Baloian Packing Co., Braga Organic Farms Inc., Brandt Farms, Family Tree Farms, Fowler Packing Co., Fresh Fruit Cuts, Fresno Produce Inc., Gerawan Farming, Grimmway Farms, HMC Farms, Homegrown Organic Farms, Kern Ridge Growers, Kingsburg Orchards, Live Oak Farms, Phillips Farms, Robert Johnson Farms, Sarabian Farms, Scattaglia Growers & Shippers, Simonian Fruit Co., SunWest Fruit Co. and Western Fresh Marketing.

Exhibitor participation has steadily increased in every category for the Fresno Food Expo each year, speaking to the value it brings to both small and large companies. With the date shift moving to the San Joaquin Valley’s peak growing season, organizers are predicting a dramatic increase in both exhibitor and buyer participation.

For more information on the Fresno Food Expo or to register as an exhibitor, visit www.FresnoFoodExpo.com.