Nogales, Arizona – In order to promote the participation and engagement in the dialogue that the FPAA Spring Policy Summit 2016 facilitates for the industry, FPAA has been releasing a series of videos in which members of the association explain why this event is crucial in the betterment of the industry and the continued supply of fresh produce to United States and Canada.
The series of videos include four topics covered by four different members.
In the first video, released on Feb. 11, Matt Mandel, vice-president of operations for SunFed speaks about how vital International trade agreements are in the expansion of opportunities for the industry.
In the second video, released on Feb. 18, Scott Vandervoet from Vandervoet and Associates, Inc. reminds viewer that this is an opportunity to drive the conversation to address issues that need attention such as infrastructure and transportation.
“While the modern Mariposa port in Nogales has the capacity to process up to four times more traffic than before, there are some roads and bridges that need to be brought up to proper standards,” explained Vandervoet.
In the third video released on Feb. 25, Sabrina Hallman, CEO of Sierra Seeds Company, refers to the banking difficulties experienced by companies operating on both sides of the Nogales border.
“New banking regulations have made it difficult to smoothly transfer money back and forth. As a business who operate with headquarters in Nogales, Arizona and offices throughout Mexico, we have been extremely affected,” said Hallman. She sees the summit as hope to find new and enhance ways of doing business.
In the fourth and last video to be released on March 3, Walter Ram, vice-president of food safety for Giumarra Companies, emphasizes the importance of being present to learn, guide and be prepared to implement the new food safety regulations.
Ram recognizes that the industry is facing the biggest issues that will affect the produce industry with the introduction of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and provisions including the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). “This program will require our members to do food safety activities they never had to do before,” says Ram. He adds that this is great opportunity for those wishing to learn what they will need to do and at the same time understand how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to enforce the rules.
All videos will be available at www.freshfrommexico.com and at the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas’ YouTube channel.
Source: Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
