MCLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) announced today that its 2001 Apple Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference will be held Aug. 16-17 at Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel.

USApple’s annual conference combines market outlooks and networking, and is the premiere gathering of the apple industry in the United States, and perhaps the world. More than 350 industry leaders from the United States and around the world, representing all segments of the apple industry – production, processing, sales and marketing – attended the 2000 conference.

“USApple’s meeting provides significant value year after year,” says USApple President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz. “The latest U.S. and world apple market intelligence combined with unparalleled networking opportunities make this meeting a one-stop source for apple industry information.”

The 2001 conference will again feature current, first-hand information needed to compete in today’s global apple marketplace. Outlooks for the U.S., European, Chinese, Canadian and Mexican crops will be detailed. Other sessions will focus on apple processing demand, apple juice concentrate issues, regional crop discussions and more.

As in the past two years, the conference will again include the association’s Annual Business Meeting, and presentation of the industry’s two top awards: the American Fruit Grower magazine’s Apple Grower of the Year, and The Packer/The Grower publications’ Apple Person of the Year.

USApple will distribute registration information to members and past conference attendees this spring. Other interested persons can contact USApple at (703) 442-8850 for more information.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state apple associations representing 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as nearly 500 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.