PRESS RELEASE: Quebec City, August 10, 2019 – The Quebec Produce Marketing Association BB #:159622 is proud to announce the signing of an annual partnership agreement with Desjardins, a financial institution with the same enthusiasm and confidence it has in the potential of the Quebec fruit and vegetable industry’s Next Generation.
The one-year partnership agreement is designed to support the development of the NextGeneration Network and, more specifically, the QPMA’s “Cultivating the Next Generation” program. The objective of the program is to stimulate community engagement, encourage the development of talent, promote and ensure the sustainability of the fruit and vegetable industry’s human resources.
The “Cultivating the Next Generation” program was initiated by the QPMA and has been running successfully for eight years. It gives selected candidates the opportunity to get involved in the association by participating in meetings of the board of directors and various committees. They also get the opportunity to visit QPMA member companies to better familiarize themselves with the nine sectors QPMA members are involved in and to participate in the association’s networking activities, while representing the interests of the Next Generation. And they get the chance to accompany QPMA board president and CEO Sophie Perreault at special events and meetings with industry partners and government officials.
The Next-Generation Network is open to all QPMA members between the ages of 18 and 35. The network ensures that the QPMA takes the Next Generation into account in setting priorities so that they meet the needs of its younger members who are key to the future success of the organizations it represents and the association itself. Specific activities are held for the group, including the “Next-Generation Happy Hour,” “speed-mentoring,” and the “Cultivating the NextGeneration” program. Information related to issues affecting the Next Generation is also regularly shared on a number of different platforms.
Desjardins, the leading lender to the agricultural and agri-food sector, is a financial institution that is keenly aware of the vitality of the fruit and vegetable industry and its impact on the health and economy of Quebec. Desjardins enthusiastically embraces the Next-Generation project. The project deals with an issue that has been a concern for a number of years and is reflected in Desjardins’ participation in hundreds of business transfers or acquisitions from one generation to the next, an area of activity that is expected to increase substantially in the years ahead.
The coming year is shaping up to be filled with many exciting projects as dynamic in nature as both partners and members of the Next-Generation Network. There is no question that Desjardins’ expertise, tools, human resources, and market knowledge will make a difference in taking the Next Generation project up to the next level.
Contact: Florian Damy – fdamy@aqdfl.ca / 438-725-3194
