Quebec’s Cranberry Growers Partners with QPMA
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For immediate release
Quebec’s Cranberry Growers Partners with QPMA
Montreal, January 23, 2012 – The Quebec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) is proud to welcome the Association des producteurs de canneberges du Québec (APCQ), the umbrella organ for Quebec’s cranberry growers, into our extended family of partners in the “I love 5 to 10 servings a day” campaign. The campaign is enjoying major popularity with Quebecers, thanks to the diversity of its partners and members. APCQ support for the “I love” campaign gives a new boost to our role in promoting fruits and vegetables across the entire produce sector.
“Cranberries, which are chock full of antioxidants, are a booming industry in Quebec, so our cooperation with the sector comes at just the right moment. We’re hoping all the excitement will make their benefits more widely recognized and help increase cranberry production in Quebec,” said QPMA executive director Sophie Perreault.
“Joining the QPMA and getting involved in the ‘I love’ campaign shows that our industry has gained a reputation that is helping us reach out to new partners in our effort to promote the health benefits of cranberries for consumers,” said APCQ executive director Monique Thomas.
We believe this will prove to be a win-win alliance as we combine our efforts to promote cranberry consumption.
About the QPMA
Founded in 1947, the Quebec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) includes some 500 businesses from virtually all levels of the food distribution chain. The association’s mission is to create a favourable environment for the marketing of fresh produce in Quebec. For more information, visit www.qpma.ca.
The “I love 5 to 10 servings a day” campaign was launched by the QPMA in 2004. Its purpose is to raise consumer awareness about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle and, as a result, to increase sales of these products for the benefit of its members.
The “I love” campaign has won vital support from partners among key agrifood industry associations, including Quebec’s market gardeners through the Association des jardiniers maraîchers du Québec, apple growers and packers through the Fédération des producteurs de pommes du Québec and the Association des emballeurs de pommes du Québec, the province’s potato industry through the Fédération des producteurs de pommes de terre du Québec and the Association des emballeurs de pommes de terre du Québec, berry growers through the Association des producteurs de fraises et framboises du Québec and the Syndicat des producteurs de bleuets du Québec, the greenhouse growers industry through the Syndicat des producteurs en serres du Québec, the Dairy Farmers of Canada and now Quebec’s cranberry industry through the Association des producteurs de canneberges du Québec.
About the APCQ
The Association des producteurs de canneberges du Québec was founded in 1994 and today includes 72 members who harvested over 119 million pounds of cranberries in 2011, putting Quebec in 3rd place in cranberry production worldwide, and 1st place for production of organically grown cranberries.
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Information:
Maryse Camiré
Events Coordinator
QPMA
514-355-4330, extension 25
mcamire@aqdfl.ca