Mex Best promotes around the world, including Atlanta
Mex Best promotes around the world, including Atlanta
ATLANTA -- "Mex Best" is a brand that Mexican producers and their government use to promote Mexican products around the world. Enrique Lobo, minister of the agricultural office of the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, DC, said that different Mexican categories, including produce, fisheries, livestock and groceries, are promoted at the single top relevant trade fair in major markets around the world.
In the case of produce, Mex Best promotes at the PMA convention. Mr. Lobo sat with The Produce News in the Mex Best booth on Nov. 7 to discuss the PMA promotion and Mexican produce industry.
He said that Mex Best brought 12 companies to PMA in 2002, with a booth totaling 800 square feet. In 2005, 80 Mexican companies promoted together at the PMA convention, working from an 11,000-square-foot Mex Best display. "Next year we will have a 15 to 20 percent increase" in PMA exposition participation from Mexican growers, he said. Those who have already participated tell their countrymen about business that is conducted on the show floor. That has been plenty of incentive for other Mexican firms to join the effort, he said.
Mr. Lobo said that part of the Mex Best promotion is to give buyers tours of Mexican growing areas. As a result, 100 U.S. executives have taken such tours in the last four years.
"Business between Mexico and the U.S. has increased substantially in the last 10 years. For example, in the first quarter of 2005, there was an increase of vegetable exports by 31 percent and fruit was up 18.5 percent. That gives you a good idea of the trend. In the last 10 years, ag trade from Mexico to the U.S. has gone up 10 percent each year. From 1993, when NAFTA was signed, until 2004, there was a 180 percent increase" in exports to the United States. He said that NAFTA was helpful in that process, but so were Mexican investments in technology, new facilities and the arrival of a new generation, which is bilingual and sometimes trilingual.
"For more than 100 years, Mexico has been a complementary ag partner with the U.S.," Mr. Lobo said.
In the case of produce, Mex Best promotes at the PMA convention. Mr. Lobo sat with The Produce News in the Mex Best booth on Nov. 7 to discuss the PMA promotion and Mexican produce industry.
He said that Mex Best brought 12 companies to PMA in 2002, with a booth totaling 800 square feet. In 2005, 80 Mexican companies promoted together at the PMA convention, working from an 11,000-square-foot Mex Best display. "Next year we will have a 15 to 20 percent increase" in PMA exposition participation from Mexican growers, he said. Those who have already participated tell their countrymen about business that is conducted on the show floor. That has been plenty of incentive for other Mexican firms to join the effort, he said.
Mr. Lobo said that part of the Mex Best promotion is to give buyers tours of Mexican growing areas. As a result, 100 U.S. executives have taken such tours in the last four years.
"Business between Mexico and the U.S. has increased substantially in the last 10 years. For example, in the first quarter of 2005, there was an increase of vegetable exports by 31 percent and fruit was up 18.5 percent. That gives you a good idea of the trend. In the last 10 years, ag trade from Mexico to the U.S. has gone up 10 percent each year. From 1993, when NAFTA was signed, until 2004, there was a 180 percent increase" in exports to the United States. He said that NAFTA was helpful in that process, but so were Mexican investments in technology, new facilities and the arrival of a new generation, which is bilingual and sometimes trilingual.
"For more than 100 years, Mexico has been a complementary ag partner with the U.S.," Mr. Lobo said.
