The Marketing Associations is the name chosen by the Washington Apple Growers Marketing Association (WAGMA); the Washington Pear Marketing Association (WPMA); the Mid-Columbia Pear Marketing Association (MCPMA); and the Northwest Cherry Marketing Association (NWCMA). These associations were created under the Capper-Volstead Act which allows agricultural producers, their handlers and sales agents to discuss - with certain limitations - price and supply issues without violating antitrust statutes. These associations were created with broad industry consensus as a result of significant changes in the market place that were pushing growers, warehouses, suppliers and lenders toward insolvency at an ever accelerating pace. Against this backdrop, the price per pound consumers are willing to pay for our product has continued to rise. The industry has experienced difficulty in understanding how and why the retail price is so high and the FOB price so low.

The multi-faceted problems confronting this industry will not be easily solved. Just as a long journey starts with a single step, so it is with the efforts of our group to commence our journey with a renewed spirit of communication and cooperation engendered by association membership and participation. We foster discussion and consensus building in an atmosphere of commitment to the notion that growers and handlers working together can achieve better times for us all. If you want to know more about the associations, go to the "Contact Us" link or the "Membership" link if you would like to join.