Vienna, Va. – The U.S. Apple Association’s (USApple) 2002 Apple Crop Outlook and Marketing Conference will be held Aug. 22-23 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 325 industry leaders from the United States and around the world, representing all segments of the apple industry – production, processing, sales and marketing – attended the 2001 conference.

“USApple’s meeting provides attendees with significant value year after year,” says USApple Vice President James (Jim) R. Cranney, Jr. “Attendees grab the first glimpse at U.S. and international crop and market outlooks, giving them an edge in the competitive global market.”

The 2002 conference will again feature outlooks for the U.S., European, Chinese, Canadian and Mexican crops. Other sessions will focus on apple processing demand, apple juice concentrate issues, regional crop discussions and more.

New this year will be the inclusion of representatives of the U.S. pear industry to present U.S., European and Southern Hemisphere crop statistics.

“We are delighted to welcome the pear industry as presenters at this year’s conference,” said Cranney. “In conjunction with the Pear Bureau Northwest and the California Pear Advisory Board, USApple will again deliver a value-added conference to attendees.”

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.