Posts Tagged “Mariposa Port of Entry”
Investment in a cold inspection facility at the Mariposa Port of Entry at Nogales by the state of Arizona has received praise from The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.
Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed budget includes $700,000 for the facility at the port, according to a news release from the FPAA. Other stakeholders, including the FPAA and Santa Cruz County, have added funding for the project.
The ability to distribute temperature-sensitive items such as berries can help importing companies to expand operations to year-round, according to the FPAA.
“Imagine Nogales companies selling strawberries, raspberries, sensitive leafy vegetable items and more,” Lance Jungmeyer, FPAA president, said in the release. “Presently these items are not imported very much in Nogales because inspection infrastructure is not adequate during warmer months. Now, Arizona can participate in these lucrative markets.”
The FPAA touted the economic benefits of the project, including adding jobs and increasing the area’s tax base.
Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports berry exports from Mexico to the U.S. are more than $1 billion a year, Arizona is a minor importer, according to the news release.
A University of Arizona study commissioned by the FPAAA concerning a cold inspection facility at the Nogales port shows economic effects:
- $43 million to $48 million in additional sales;
- $27 million to $30 million increase in gross state product; and
- $15 million to $17 million in labor income.
The FPAA and Santa Cruz County Port Authority have pledged up to $500,000 for the project, according to the release.
By Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Nogales, AZ — The Arizona State Transportation Board announced they will fund the full build-out and expansion of State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) to the tune of $134 million. SR 189, is the main thoroughfare for trucks crossing the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales and heading northbound on I-19 to area warehouses.
The full-funding announcement is a revision from earlier budget commitments to complete the work in two phases over the course of several years. The funding package also leverages state, federal, and local funding that make up the entire $134 million price tag.
“The road improvement should speed roundtrip delivery from the port of entry to some warehouses by 20 minutes or more per truck, giving companies a valuable incentive to locate their operations in Nogales,” said Lance Jungmeyer, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas president (FPAA).
“This is the culmination of many years of hard work in unifying support from groups across Arizona about this important roadway,” Jungmeyer said. “From Flagstaff to Phoenix to Tucson, communities were all talking about the importance of funding this much-needed expansion. We are always looking for ways to speed up the produce superhighway that is Nogales, and this funding is an important step in our continued success.”
Nogales and Santa Cruz County are committing approximately $45 million over the course of several years from their share of a fee paid by produce trucks crossing the border. The State Legislature committed $25 million of general fund money to this project. The road is also recognized as vital on a Federal level as well as evidenced by the investment of $25 million for the project through the award of a Federal Tiger Grant.
The project will fund important enhancements to the entire length of SR 189 and will also construct a flyover ramp connecting SR 189 to I-19, which eliminates stoplights and left-hand turns that currently hamper movement of heavy trucks onto the interstate. The project is also designed as a crucial safety measure by separating the ingress and egress of local high school traffic from the intersection where it meets with the commercial traffic on SR 189. The project has been fast-tracked to begin in 2019.
Added Jungmeyer, “SR 189 is the artery that drives our economy by facilitating the movement of trucks and passengers into and out of Arizona, and we are excited about the positive benefits this will bring to our members in the form of faster, safer, more reliable deliveries to their warehouses. Ultimately this will be a major win for our customers and the end consumers because we will have faster deliveries of the fresh, high-quality produce that is synonymous with Nogales.”
About the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas:
The FPAA is a nonprofit trade association headquartered in Nogales, Arizona, that represents over 120 U.S. member companies involved in growing, packing, sales and transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Mexico. Produce from Mexico accounts for approximately 37 percent of fruit and vegetable consumption in the U.S. during the winter months. The Mariposa Port of Entry located in Nogales is the largest port of entry for fresh produce imported into the U.S. from Mexico.
Nogales Port Authority statistics show commercial border crossings at the Mariposa Port of Entry have been increasing and likely will continue to do so.
Both the dollar amount of cargo and the number of trucks hauling it have increased “substantially” since 2010, according to a recent news release. Truck traffic increased 13 percent, growing from 276,877 trucks in 2009 to 311,669 trucks in 2013.
The value of cargo going through the Mariposa crossing is rose from 50 percent to 75 percent. In 2011 an estimated $20 billion to $25 billion in trade goods went through the crossing. The port authority estimates for 2014 it will be $30 billion to $35 billion. Mariposa is particularly popular with produce shippers and produce truckers, according to the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
.
For September 2013 through April this year, FPAA officials said 37 percent of all Mexican produce came to the U.S. via Mariposa. For the same period in 2013 Mariposa was the entry port for 34 percent of Mexican produce, according to a news release.
“Enhanced staffing of the port, along with current investments in Mexican infrastructure, will complement the U.S. investment in our port and expedite trade. Trade opportunities are both northbound and southbound. We will continue to see increases in export trade southbound into Mexico,” Nils Urman, representing Nogales Community Development, said in the release from the port authority.