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PHARR, Texas - Each week, Pharr International Bridge holds a \u201cvirtual\u201d town hall meeting for the international trade community.

The series is called BridgeConnect LIVE. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Pharr International Bridge Board would hold the events in-person once a month.\xa0

Now, because of the threat of COVID-19, the events are held once a week on Facebook. The series is called \u201cThe Effects of COVID-19.\u201d\xa0

Session 16 focused on the tomato suspension agreement. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service under the auspices of the United States Department of Agriculture has taken action to prevent the introduction of tomato brown rugose fruit virus into the United States.\xa0

Tomato and pepper production in the United States is worth more than $2.3 billion annually. Required federal government compliance with inspection protocols was one of the main topics of discussion during Pharr BridgeConnect Session 16 on July 23.\xa0

Session 16 was hosted by Pharr Bridge Director Luis Bazan.

The session was conducted in English and Spanish.\xa0

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.