Ambassador Baxter participates in the ribbon cutting ceremony along with Vice President Nin Novoa and Gamorel executives. Ambassador Baxter walks past a field of blueberries carrying a box of the freshly packed product.

U.S. Ambassador Frank E. Baxter, together with the Vice-President of Uruguay Rodolfo Nin Novoa, Minister of Industry Jorge Lepra and other members of the ministerial cabinet, local authorities and business leaders took part today in a ceremony inaugurating the new Gamorel S.A. blueberry processing plant in Salto. “I am very happy to see Uruguay develop this successful blueberry processing program,” Baxter stated in an interview with national and international news media.

In his remarks, Ambassador Baxter added that “Uruguay has the natural resources – and what is more important, the people needed to compete in the global market. Exporting blueberries is an important example of the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the Uruguayans. To cultivate blueberries in the summer here in order to send them to importing countries during their winter is an example of the kind of intelligent thinking that will attract foreign investment and create jobs at the local level.”

“To go out and search for markets, to take risks and to innovate are three elements which, when combined, will help enrich Uruguay. In order to win markets, the producer must think first of all of the client and sell the type of high quality product that Salto produces today,” Baxter said.

Baxter also reminded everyone of the desire expressed by President Bush to enjoy Uruguayan blueberries at his breakfast table in the White House. The Ambassador finished off by saying: “I am convinced that the blueberries are one of many high quality products “Made in Uruguay” that consumers in the United States will enjoy in the coming years.”

###

		Ambassador Baxter observes as fresh blueberries are weighed and packed into individual plastic containers.
Ambassador Baxter poses with some of the Gamorel plant workers.
Gamorel officials Ulises Sabato and Alejandro Bulgheroni invite Uruguay's Vice President Rodolfo Nin Novoa, Minister of Industry Jorge Lepra and Ambassador Frank Baxter to try some of the freshly packed blueberries.

 
###