Texas Produce Association convention avoids weather, focuses on issues
Texas Produce Association convention avoids weather, focuses on issues
In mid-September, when Hurricane Ike was several hundred miles off the coast of Texas and barreling down on the Lone Star State, Texas Produce Association President John McClung thought he might have to postpone the association's convention one more time.
But the storm veered north and east, sparing the Rio Grande Valley from its wrath and allowing the TPA convention to be held Sept. 19-21 in McAllen, TX. "We had somewhat of a makeshift event, but it was well worth the effort," he said. "We had some excellent presentations on a variety of very important topics."
Mr. McClung said that Hurricane Ike did affect attendance, as some found it difficult to get down to the valley so soon after that storm had devastated Galveston, TX, and pelted Houston and the surrounding areas. "Our registrations were about normal, but attendance was down a bit," he said.
The convention was originally scheduled to be held on Texas' South Padre Island in August, but Hurricane Dolly flooded the convention hotel in late July, causing the event to be moved to the September date and location.
The TPA executive said that food safety, politics and immigration reform were the main topics discussed at the convention. He said that it is somewhat of a foregone conclusion that national food-safety legislation will be proposed and passed by the new Congress next year. Many bills surfaced last year in the wake of ongoing food-safety scares, but none made it to the finish line, largely because of other pressing matters and the hoopla of the presidential campaign.
Mr. McClung said that the new Congress is expected to take up the issue in earnest soon after convening in January. He said that one of the major points of any legislation is that imported product be treated the same as product domestically produced.
"Because so many Texas shippers are involved in importing fresh produce, this is a very important issue to us," he said.
He added that Texas producers are in favor of holding foreign produce to the same standards as U.S. product, but they realize the inherent difficulty in regulating what is produced in other countries. "You can pass any kind of law you want [regulating production outside the United States]," he said. "Enforcing those laws is another matter."
Immigration reform was another hot topic at the Texas convention, as the attendees received an update with regard to the likelihood that comprehensive immigration reform will be passed in 2009.
"I am not a pessimist with regard to getting reform in the long term," Mr. McClung said. "There is growing realization that this is a three-legged stool with border security, accommodations for those undocumented people that have been here for a long time and some type of guestworker program being the three legs of that stool. That equals comprehensive reform, and I believe we will get that."
Because it is a political year, TPA invited both a Republican and Democratic spokesperson to speak to the convention attendees and lay out the case for votes for their respective parties.
Mr. McClung said that while most agricultural members are conservative and tend to align with the Republican Party, there are many members who support Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
In fact, while Texas as a whole is expected to come down on the Republican side of the presidential ledger, Mr. McClung said that the Rio Grande Valley typically votes for the Democratic candidate because of its large Hispanic population.
The two party representatives discussed how agriculture would fare under administrations from their respective parties. He said that some issues - most notably science-based food-safety legislation and comprehensive immigration reform - may not necessarily be derailed or advanced by the eventual outcome of the presidential election.
Sen. Obama has announced support for comprehensive immigration reform, and Sen. McCain was a champion of the concept before beginning his run for the presidency. Since he became a candidate, he has stressed the security aspect of the immigration issue, but many believe he will return to his earlier position if elected.
Although the TPA convention had to be postponed because of a hurricane, Mr. McClung said that there is no movement to abandon South Padre Island, which has served as home to the convention for many years.
"Next year we are scheduled for San Antonio [TX], but the following year and in future years, I expect we will go back to South Padre Island," he said. "It's a good draw for us."
And while Hurricane Dolly did rake the islands with its winds and rain, it is rare for that portion of Texas to be drenched by hurricanes.
"It can happen, but it is difficult for a hurricane to navigate through the Gulf of Mexico and end up in south Texas," he said.
But the storm veered north and east, sparing the Rio Grande Valley from its wrath and allowing the TPA convention to be held Sept. 19-21 in McAllen, TX. "We had somewhat of a makeshift event, but it was well worth the effort," he said. "We had some excellent presentations on a variety of very important topics."
Mr. McClung said that Hurricane Ike did affect attendance, as some found it difficult to get down to the valley so soon after that storm had devastated Galveston, TX, and pelted Houston and the surrounding areas. "Our registrations were about normal, but attendance was down a bit," he said.
The convention was originally scheduled to be held on Texas' South Padre Island in August, but Hurricane Dolly flooded the convention hotel in late July, causing the event to be moved to the September date and location.
The TPA executive said that food safety, politics and immigration reform were the main topics discussed at the convention. He said that it is somewhat of a foregone conclusion that national food-safety legislation will be proposed and passed by the new Congress next year. Many bills surfaced last year in the wake of ongoing food-safety scares, but none made it to the finish line, largely because of other pressing matters and the hoopla of the presidential campaign.
Mr. McClung said that the new Congress is expected to take up the issue in earnest soon after convening in January. He said that one of the major points of any legislation is that imported product be treated the same as product domestically produced.
"Because so many Texas shippers are involved in importing fresh produce, this is a very important issue to us," he said.
He added that Texas producers are in favor of holding foreign produce to the same standards as U.S. product, but they realize the inherent difficulty in regulating what is produced in other countries. "You can pass any kind of law you want [regulating production outside the United States]," he said. "Enforcing those laws is another matter."
Immigration reform was another hot topic at the Texas convention, as the attendees received an update with regard to the likelihood that comprehensive immigration reform will be passed in 2009.
"I am not a pessimist with regard to getting reform in the long term," Mr. McClung said. "There is growing realization that this is a three-legged stool with border security, accommodations for those undocumented people that have been here for a long time and some type of guestworker program being the three legs of that stool. That equals comprehensive reform, and I believe we will get that."
Because it is a political year, TPA invited both a Republican and Democratic spokesperson to speak to the convention attendees and lay out the case for votes for their respective parties.
Mr. McClung said that while most agricultural members are conservative and tend to align with the Republican Party, there are many members who support Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
In fact, while Texas as a whole is expected to come down on the Republican side of the presidential ledger, Mr. McClung said that the Rio Grande Valley typically votes for the Democratic candidate because of its large Hispanic population.
The two party representatives discussed how agriculture would fare under administrations from their respective parties. He said that some issues - most notably science-based food-safety legislation and comprehensive immigration reform - may not necessarily be derailed or advanced by the eventual outcome of the presidential election.
Sen. Obama has announced support for comprehensive immigration reform, and Sen. McCain was a champion of the concept before beginning his run for the presidency. Since he became a candidate, he has stressed the security aspect of the immigration issue, but many believe he will return to his earlier position if elected.
Although the TPA convention had to be postponed because of a hurricane, Mr. McClung said that there is no movement to abandon South Padre Island, which has served as home to the convention for many years.
"Next year we are scheduled for San Antonio [TX], but the following year and in future years, I expect we will go back to South Padre Island," he said. "It's a good draw for us."
And while Hurricane Dolly did rake the islands with its winds and rain, it is rare for that portion of Texas to be drenched by hurricanes.
"It can happen, but it is difficult for a hurricane to navigate through the Gulf of Mexico and end up in south Texas," he said.
