Board Meeting Concludes Action-Packed Week in Orange County

Earlier this afternoon, Chairman Larry Cox of Lawrence Cox Ranches [Brawley, Calif.] concluded the quarterly Western Growers Board of Directors meeting in Newport Beach, Calif. Following committee meetings on Wednesday, the full board convened this morning to address major policy items impacting the competitiveness and profitability of the Arizona, California and Colorado fresh produce industry.

Key points of discussion from each of the committee meetings include:

Legislative

• AB 1066 (CA: Would phase out existing overtime thresholds for ag workers)
• SB 32 (CA: Would increase and make permanent statewide greenhouse gas emission reductions mandates)
• SB 1000 (CA: Would require an environmental justice element in city/county general plans)
• SB 661 (CA: Would create fines for digging before calling utilities)
• Fair Wages and Healthy Families ballot initiative (AZ: Would increase state minimum wage to $12 per hour and mandate most employers provide 40 hours of paid sick leave to all employees)

Water

• Federal water legislation
• Liability protection for voluntary provision of replacement water for well-users impacted by nitrate contamination
• California Water Fix (Delta tunnels)
• Oil-produced water

Food Safety/Science and Technology

• Pending draft regulations from CA Department of Pesticide Regulation (governing use of pesticides near schools; requiring mandatory notification for soil fumigant application)
• Food Safety Modernization Act implementation
• Federal GMO labeling bill
• Center for Produce Safety

Labor

• Improvements to H-2A program
• Immigration reform
• AB 1513 (legal challenges to piece-rate safe harbor legislation)

Trade Practices and Commodity Services/Transportation

• Western Growers Transportation Program
• Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act
• Sustainable Freight Action Plan
• Portable and mobile refrigeration systems

International Trade

• Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
• Department of Commerce trade activities
• USDA import rule (Argentina lemons)
• Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

Western Growers would like to thank the Board for their continued service to the industry and for visiting the Association’s new headquarters in Irvine earlier this week. In case you missed it, the new building was “officially” unveiled on Tuesday when Chairman Larry Cox presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony.                

The final board meeting of the year will take place on November 7 during Western Growers’ Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. REGISTER AND BOOK ROOM for the 91st Annual Meeting.

For more information, contact Cory Lunde at (949) 885-2264.