The Almond Hullers and Processors Association is now officially the Almond Alliance of California. What does the group do and how will it help the almond industry?
Almond Alliance of California is Official
Almond Alliance Board of Director’s Chairman, Dick Cunningham tells us why the Almond Hullers and Processors Association made a name change. “We’re obviously serving the core members we have in the past, the hullers, shellers, handlers, processors, allied industry partners as well as now growers,” Cunningham says. “There is a lot of work we have been asked to work on in the past that directly affect and benefit growers. Now with this name change, it’s inclusive of growers as well.”
Cunningham says the name isn’t the only thing that changed. “It’s been a lengthy and deliberate process over the last 18 months and we had a clear goal in mind,” Cunningham says. “The new association, Almond Alliance of California, is the only trade association fully dedicated to advocating and protecting our members’ investment in the almond industry. So we have a new focus so we are not the same organization but we continue to value and serve our core members.”
Cunningham says the Almond Alliance of California isn’t the same thing as the Almond Board of California, but the two are not competitors either. The groups each have their own place in helping the Almond Industry. “The Almond Board does a wonderful job of being able to educate and provide important research information on a wide range of almond industry issues,” Cunningham says. “However they are prohibited from doing any lobbying specifically by the USDA. That’s where our organization comes in. We can utilize their information to lobby. I think the important part of what we are doing is our work with the almond board and our synergy between the organizations.”
Find out more about the Almond Alliance of California.