From January 13 to 15, we welcomed representatives from Real Milk California from 13 different countries to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, as part of the 2026 Reps Meeting.
This event is held annually in different countries where the California Dairy Council has representative offices, with the aim of presenting industry trends, innovations, and the activities and results of strategies implemented in each country to promote the consumption of California dairy products.
Through intensive planning of all logistics and meticulous attention to detail, we successfully hosted 35 attendees from the United States, Taiwan, Cambodia, Chile, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and China.
In addition to the meetings, where we fostered dialogue, shared ideas and proposals, and bonded through fun activities, we gave all the representatives a deeper insight into Mexican culture, traditions, and cuisine.
“The reps meeting in San Miguel was truly unforgettable […] —it was beautifully done.” —Theeravee Ungkuvorakul, Real California Milk representative in Thailand.
“I see this global representative meeting as more than just a moment to align goals—it’s an opportunity to truly understand one another’s perspectives and strengthen how we work together across regions. When we bring diverse voices to the table with openness and respect, we don’t just share updates—we build trust, spark better ideas, and create solutions that are more inclusive and effective. I’m looking forward to meaningful discussions, honest insights, and leaving this meeting with a stronger sense of shared purpose.” —Janet Arellano, International Director of Business Development
In November, a training session was held in Mexico City with the participation of 20 young professionals from the gastronomy sector. The objective was to showcase the benefits and applications of U.S. long-grain rice in professional kitchens.
The session included a theoretical component outlining the key characteristics and benefits of U.S. rice, followed by a hands-on practical session in which participants prepared four recipes, two savory and two sweet using rice as the main ingredient and applying different culinary techniques. The dishes prepared included: chilate, salmon tart with crispy rice, creamy chicken rice with fine herbs, and mandarin crème brûlée rice pudding.
The session concluded with the presentation of recognition certificates to the participants. This training strengthened their knowledge and allowed them to discover new ways to incorporate U.S. long-grain rice into their culinary creations
Imalinx participated in a strategic event organized by the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, bringing together 40 key figures from the U.S. food and beverage industry. The main objective of the dinner was to strengthen trade relations and promote the US agri-food supply. The presence of Imalinx was crucial to facilitate networking between Mexican executives – including major importers and foodservice leaders – and representatives of U.S. products. This meeting functioned as a high-impact business platform, where concrete opportunities for the expansion and distribution of products in the Mexican market were discussed.
The dinner was conceived as a culinary and functional display of high-quality U.S. ingredients. The menu highlighted Idaho potatoes in various preparations, along with a variety of California cheeses, butters and ice cream, showcasing the excellence of its dairy and fresh produce industries. In addition, other essential products such as beef and rice of American origin were served. This tasting served as a practical demonstration of the versatility and quality of the ingredients, providing Mexican industry leaders with clear ideas for incorporation into their supply chains and gastronomic offer.
The Idaho Potato Commission, in collaboration with the importer Vidimports (also known by its acronym VPC), planned and conducted a training session for 68 members of its sales force from the central region of the country. The main objective of this activity was to inform them about the characteristics, origin, and quality of Idaho Russet potatoes, equipping them with tools to effectively sell the product.
After speaking with the distributor and evaluating how to improve the experience, we identified that incorporating a tasting of three different recipes, along with an educational quiz, would further reinforce their learning. Welcome kits were handed out, including t-shirts, Spuddy Buddies, and participation certificates.
In collaboration with Chef Juan Manuel, who led the tasting, attendees were guided through the features of Idaho Russet potatoes, how the dishes were prepared, and best cooking practices. Participants enjoyed French fries, mashed potatoes, and chocolate truffles made with potatoes to round out the experience.
The activity was a great success and helped strengthen the sales team’s knowledge of Idaho Russet potatoes while creating a dynamic, engaging, and enriching environment.
Initiatives like this one reinforce the commitment of the Idaho Potato Commission and VPC to delivering high-quality products, supported by a well-trained and enthusiastic team ready to share their benefits with Mexican consumers.
2024 was the first season in which Imalinx coordinated promotional activities for California grapes. Part of the program targeted major Club retailers, including Costco and Sam’s Club. At Costco, nationwide sampling events were held in 42 stores on November 14th, 15th, and 16th, with additional promotions in 16 top-performing locations on November 23rd. These events featured informational one-pagers highlighting the benefits of California grapes.
Meanwhile, Sam’s Club launched a digital campaign supported by in-store banners across 20 locations in key cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, and Querétaro from November 14th to 20th. The digital effort, which includes e-commerce and app-based promotions, runs until November 30th, with sales reports to follow.
We had an approach with Pinche Gringo BBQ through the MLB event organized by the Agricultural Trade Office in Mexico city.
It is a chain with 8 restaurants in Mexico City. We saw a great opportunity to participate by integrating Idaho potatoes into some of their recipes and considering different types of support such as IPC-branded materials, uniforms, etc.
We committed to providing them with gradual support once the budget is finalized. Dubacano is the importer that delivers the potatoes to them on a weekly basis.
| Load | Weight in kg | Weight in lbs |
| Weekly load: 18 sacks | 405 | 891 |
| Monthly load: 72 sacks | 1,620 | 3,564 |
| Annual load: 864 sacks | 19,440 | 42,768 |
We have a Spuddy Buddy in LED that we will provide as part of IPC’s support materials.
All of these efforts will help us gain presence and raise brand awareness among their restaurant attendees.
They are very excited to work together to achieve the expected results for both parties.
California Raisins actively participated in Expo Mexipan 2024, the most important bakery industry event in Mexico, which gathered processors, distributors, and consumers from across the country. This was a unique opportunity to strengthen the presence of California Raisins in the Mexican market and position them as a premium choice in bakery and pastry products.
During the event, the California Raisins team held meetings with over 50 processors, who showed significant interest in incorporating California Raisins into their products. Additionally, we engaged with more than 100 consumers, who provided positive feedback and expressed their preference for the taste and quality of our raisins.
On Tuesday, July 23rd, the Delizie della Burrata event took place in Cuernavaca, Morelos. An event designed to bring the best quality of fresh cheeses to the door of the foodservice sector in the eternal spring city. Di Stefano cheeses are made with 100% cow’s milk from California in the artisan style and with the original Italian recipe.
Together with our distributor Gennaro Riccio we presented the Di Stefano brand, its history and trajectory. Gennaro gave us a training on the uses to learn more about each product, its flavors, versatility and quality; delighting us from classic recipes to very creative innovations.
We had 15 attendees from 9 different companies, all of them were able to learn, taste and ask questions. They took away samples and a gift kit, as well as many ideas to apply everything they learned!
Sunmaid Growers of California listed 12 SKUs in the Mexican Market delivering the first purchase order for 800 cases with an estimated export value of 28,000 USD in March 2024 and available to Mexican consumer on April 1st, 2024. Raisin Administrative Committee provided industry-wide consultations during 2023 providing market information, importers contacts and facilitating communication for the first contact.
The listing process into the country took over one year and RAC was able to provide industry information to Mexican Retailer “La Comer” with 15% national market share with 13 high-end retail stores named “City Market”, where the product will be immediately made available, to eventually distribute in the rest of 72 stores with potential sales of 200,000 USD for full distribution in this retail chain, with the potential to increase volume once other retailers list the product portfolio in 2024.
Product listing will be complemented by a generic Retail Marketing campaign managed by RAC and it is expected that this will be the first step to develop raisin individual packs as a snack category in Mexico that has been a part of the U.S. Culture for many years, opening the way for more uses of California Raisins in that country.
As part of the 2023 program, SUSTA organized a trade mission to Houston. Texas and Atlanta, Georgia for 4 Mexican buyers to meet with nearly 40 companies from the Southern United States that are members of SUSTA (Southern U.S. Agricultural Trade Association) to develop commercial opportunities between both countries.
The buyers traveled to both cities being received by the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, coordinating meetings between buyers and sellers in a Table-top format, combined with visits to supermarket stores and other suppliers. Trade leads were generated that we hope will result in sales in the near future.