Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) members met to move forward with a newly adopted dues and membership structure addressing the ongoing work of the FPAA on a national basis. The new structure also maintains existing state and local level services in Arizona with a foundation to add more services in other states at the discretion of members.
The FPAA board of directors recommended the changes to the membership given that many of the issues and opportunities members face--from attempted restrictions of U.S. market access to renegotiated trade agreements--regulations do not stop at the border crossing in Nogales. For this reason, the board presented the new structure as a way for the association to continue to provide the protections necessary for current and future members to thrive and grow. These new changes were adopted at a special FPAA membership meeting on January 30, 2023.
“Our industry is ever evolving. The completion of the Mazatlan–Durango highway has led many firms in the association to utilize Texas ports of entry to position loads for distribution to the Mid-West and East Coast. For two decades, dues have applied only to truckloads crossed in Nogales. FPAA presently does not collect fees on members’ crossings outside of Nogales, Arizona,” said Rod Sbragia, chairman, FPAA. “However, many of the large issues we tackle daily impact U.S. importers and allied industry members across the border and not just those crossing here in Nogales.”
“This membership and dues structure is designed to provide a bedrock for national advocacy, in a way that maintains an overall FPAA budget that is adequate to defend members’ market access,” said Lance Jungmeyer, FPAA president. “It also gives us the framework to continue our local and state advocacy where members decide they need it. We have worked on many national issues for the industry for decades and the new structure better accounts for those efforts.”
The FPAA looks forward to this year and welcomes all new members. The FPAA has exciting things in the works and is excited about this expansion to all Southwest importing states.
The FPAA also has member events upcoming, such as the Spring Policy Summit on March 14-15, 2023. The big event this year will be the 54th Annual Convention under a new name and layout, the Southwest International Expo (SWIPE), which will be held November 2-4, 2023 in Tucson at Lowes Ventana Canyon.
For more information:
Emmis Yubeta
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Tel: 520-470-7356
emmis@freshfrommexico.com
Lance Jungmeyer
lance@freshfrommexico.com
www.freshfrommexico.com