Mexico's agriculture secretary will resign to pursue gubernatorial post
Mexico's agriculture secretary will resign to pursue gubernatorial post
Javier Usabiaga, who has served as secretary of agriculture for Mexico under President Vicente Fox since 2000, announced that he will resign his position in order to embark on a campaign for governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, the
Reforma in Mexico City reported May 8.
In the Reforma article, Mr. Usabiaga cited moral reasons for his decision to not hold the secretary of agriculture position while simultaneously embarking on his gubernatorial campaign.
While no specific time has been established for his resignation, it will likely be later this year, perhaps in November. Guanajuato's gubernatorial election takes place July 6, 2006 -- the same day as the presidential election.
Mr. Usabiaga, who was a garlic grower before entering public service, has worked steadfastly at boosting the image of Mexican-grown produce since taking office.
In October 2002 during the Produce Marketing Association convention and exposition in New Orleans, Mr. Usabiaga announced a series of key initiatives designed to elevate Mexico's standing as a supplier of fruits and vegetables to the United States and Canada. Among those initiatives were a seal of quality intended to increase consumer confidence in Mexican-grown products and a dispute resolution mechanism that sought to raise confidence in buyers and sellers doing business in Mexico.
Of the "Mexico Supreme Quality" seal that is intended to improve the public perception of Mexican produce by educating consumers about the high standards of quality and safety, Mr. Usabiaga said, "We cannot take every consumer to Mexico to see our operations, so what we have to do is bring to them the programs that we have established to build that confidence."
In order to be certified and display the "Mexico Supreme Quality" seal, growers and packers must meet all rigorous international standards set by the government. The product and the growing-packing operations must also be inspected by a third-party certification organization, such as PrimusLabs or Scientific Certification Systems.
Lee Frankel, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas in Nogales, AZ, said that, on balance, Mr. Usabiaga was a tremendous asset for the Mexican produce industry. Among his more notable accomplishments were installing well-qualified people in the department who worked toward advancing Mexican agriculture, raising the awareness of the 5 A Day program in Mexico and working with the governments of Mexico and the United States to minimize delays at the border that resulted from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's anti-contraband measures.
Mr. Frankel also said that as a produce grower, Mr. Usabiaga was export-oriented and understood what was needed to open markets.
The FPAA executive said that he would have liked to see Mr. Usabiaga's administration give more freedom to marketing representatives in the ASERCA division, who are familiar with the trends and market changes. Also, while Mr. Usabiaga has worked toward establishing marketing orders and grower cooperatives, those initiatives are still in limbo. "They are huge political undertakings that require changes in law and possibly the constitution," said Mr. Frankel.
Regarding possible successors as secretary of agriculture, Mr. Frankel said that he has heard two names bandied about: Ramon Corral of the PAN party (the same as Mr. Usabiaga's), who recently was defeated by Eduardo Bours Castelo in the gubernatorial election in Sonora; and Javier Trujillo, director of SENASICA, which oversees phytosanitary and food-safety matters for agriculture.
Mr. Frankel said that he believes Mr. Trujillo would be a very strong candidate since he is relatively apolitical and has a firm grasp of the issues faced by Mexican growers.
Reforma in Mexico City reported May 8.
In the Reforma article, Mr. Usabiaga cited moral reasons for his decision to not hold the secretary of agriculture position while simultaneously embarking on his gubernatorial campaign.
While no specific time has been established for his resignation, it will likely be later this year, perhaps in November. Guanajuato's gubernatorial election takes place July 6, 2006 -- the same day as the presidential election.
Mr. Usabiaga, who was a garlic grower before entering public service, has worked steadfastly at boosting the image of Mexican-grown produce since taking office.
In October 2002 during the Produce Marketing Association convention and exposition in New Orleans, Mr. Usabiaga announced a series of key initiatives designed to elevate Mexico's standing as a supplier of fruits and vegetables to the United States and Canada. Among those initiatives were a seal of quality intended to increase consumer confidence in Mexican-grown products and a dispute resolution mechanism that sought to raise confidence in buyers and sellers doing business in Mexico.
Of the "Mexico Supreme Quality" seal that is intended to improve the public perception of Mexican produce by educating consumers about the high standards of quality and safety, Mr. Usabiaga said, "We cannot take every consumer to Mexico to see our operations, so what we have to do is bring to them the programs that we have established to build that confidence."
In order to be certified and display the "Mexico Supreme Quality" seal, growers and packers must meet all rigorous international standards set by the government. The product and the growing-packing operations must also be inspected by a third-party certification organization, such as PrimusLabs or Scientific Certification Systems.
Lee Frankel, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas in Nogales, AZ, said that, on balance, Mr. Usabiaga was a tremendous asset for the Mexican produce industry. Among his more notable accomplishments were installing well-qualified people in the department who worked toward advancing Mexican agriculture, raising the awareness of the 5 A Day program in Mexico and working with the governments of Mexico and the United States to minimize delays at the border that resulted from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's anti-contraband measures.
Mr. Frankel also said that as a produce grower, Mr. Usabiaga was export-oriented and understood what was needed to open markets.
The FPAA executive said that he would have liked to see Mr. Usabiaga's administration give more freedom to marketing representatives in the ASERCA division, who are familiar with the trends and market changes. Also, while Mr. Usabiaga has worked toward establishing marketing orders and grower cooperatives, those initiatives are still in limbo. "They are huge political undertakings that require changes in law and possibly the constitution," said Mr. Frankel.
Regarding possible successors as secretary of agriculture, Mr. Frankel said that he has heard two names bandied about: Ramon Corral of the PAN party (the same as Mr. Usabiaga's), who recently was defeated by Eduardo Bours Castelo in the gubernatorial election in Sonora; and Javier Trujillo, director of SENASICA, which oversees phytosanitary and food-safety matters for agriculture.
Mr. Frankel said that he believes Mr. Trujillo would be a very strong candidate since he is relatively apolitical and has a firm grasp of the issues faced by Mexican growers.
