California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross delivered the opening keynote address at the 16th World Processing Tomato Congress, held in Monterey, California.
The biennial World Processing Tomato Congress brought together more than 400 delegates from over 30 countries, including tomato growers, processors, researchers, policymakers, and allied industry representatives. The event served as a global forum for collaboration and strategic planning within the processing tomato sector.
Secretary Ross welcomed attendees to California and highlighted the partnership between CDFA and the processing tomato industry. Her remarks also emphasized the importance of tomatoes to California agriculture—producing over 90% of the nation’s processing tomatoes.
The congress returned to California after previous gatherings were held in international production centers including Greece, Chile, and Italy. Organizers noted that California remained the leader in the processing tomato sector, accounting for the majority of U.S. production and a significant share of the global supply.
The opening session was organized by the California Tomato Growers Association and the global processing tomato industry.
