National Processed Raspberry Council

National Processed Raspberry Council. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Raspberry producers are about the get some needed support as the National Processed Raspberry Council will hold their first meeting in Seattle on June 3 & 4. Marlene Betts, Deputy Director for the Promotion and Economics Division - Fruit and Vegetable Program with the Agricultural Marketing Service talks about the meeting.

BETTS: Well this is the first meeting or inaugural meeting I guess if you will of the National Processed Raspberry Council. And basically the folks in the northwest, which I believe it was the Washington Red Raspberry Commission came to us to help develop a national program to help promote processed raspberries.

This meeting is a culmination of a rather lengthy process according to Betts.

BETTS: We’ve worked with them to develop all of the regulatory information to set up this research and promotion program. It sets up the representation from the various locations. So producers are on the board, they have importers seated on the board and those members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Those appointments were made in April. Betts says this first meeting is really about getting all the different parts set up and ready to move ahead.

BETTS: Their ultimate goal is obviously to promote raspberries, do research, information. Basically the core of what all research and promotion programs due. Anybody that’s interested, these are open meetings - so if anybody’s interested they can drop by and see what’s going on.

The meeting will be held at the SeaTac Marriott June 3, and on June 4, 2013.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.