Speech of Lic. Graciela Aguilar Antuñano Directora en Jefe de ASERCA “Fruit Logística 2010” opening ceremony of FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 and welcome of Pa

Speech of Lic. Graciela Aguilar Antuñano Directora en Jefe de ASERCA “Fruit Logística 2010” opening ceremony of FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 and welcome of Partner Country Mexico

Speech of Lic. Graciela Aguilar Antuñano Directora en Jefe de ASERCA “Fruit Logística 2010” opening ceremony of FRUIT LOGISTICA 2010 and welcome of Partner Country Mexico

Together Mr. Francisco Mayorga Castañeda, Secretary of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fishing and Foods, it is a great honour for me to take part in the Fruit Logistica 2010 opening ceremony.
This year Mexico is commemorating the bicentennial of its independence. As a nation, we feel proud of what we have achieved in these years. We remember our origins and the direction we have to go in: to grow like a major power such as the European Union, which serves as an example of what can be done if we all work together. Spain today presides over the Commission of the European Union, and this has great meaning for Mexico this year. Here in Germany, where Mexico is the partner country for this important fresh produce trade fair, Fruit Logistic 2010, we can see a reflection of the historical ties that we maintain with this continent.
Fresh produce is one of the mainstays of the Mexican economy. Thanks to the strength this sector, farming GDP is the only indicator that, in spite of the global crisis that is affecting us all, showed 0.9% growth in the first quarter of 2009.
Our producers are increasingly active on a global scale with products that symbolise Mexican quality, such as avocados, lemons, beer, tequila or honey.
The World Trade Organization places Mexico in the top fifteen countries in the world with the largest exports and imports of agricultural products.
Europe today is Mexico’s second largest trading partner. In the first seven months of 2009, Mexico exported 405 Euros worth of produce to Europe, which represents a decline of only 0.6% compared with the same period in 2008. This reflects the strong commercial exchange between this continent and the Mexico.
We are becoming ever closer, ever better partners.
This would not be possible either for our country or for any other without the necessary health and safety measures. Europe has lived through a number of health crises and thanks to its adherence to the standards, it has taken the lead. Today, Europeans consume products that are healthier than ever before. Mexico is learning from these experiences in order to be able to provide its trade partners with healthier products. The export of meat products to Russia is a reality. We hope at some future date to have equine, beef, poultry and pork products on the tables of consumers in the European Union, as we already have in the USA and other countries.
Thanks to the business opportunities that present themselves at trade fairs like this one, our producers have an increasing number of partners worldwide. We have an enormous range of products and as the official partner country this year, we would like to invite the producers from more than one hundred countries represented here to visit the Mexico Pavilion.
Thank you very much.