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NGFA Categories of Membership
Active Members
Active members are "any individual or firm engaged in the warehousing, processing, manufacturing, merchandising, or distribution of grain or feed, or feed ingredients in the United States, and whose membership in [the NGFA] is independent of its membership in any other organization." This is the main category of NGFA membership. NGFA Active members have full voting rights at meetings of the association.
NGFA Associate/Trading Members
NGFA Associate/Trading members are companies involved in the grain or feed, or feed ingredients business in Canada or Mexico that would be otherwise eligible for NGFA Active member status. NGFA Associate/Trading members are not subject to compulsory arbitration or automatic application of the NGFA Trade Rules. However, NGFA Associate/Trading members may use the NGFA Trade Rules and are eligible to use the NGFA Arbitration System by making reference to the rules in their contractual documents or otherwise consenting to the use of the rules. Employees of NGFA Associate/Trading members are eligible to serve on the NGFA Trade Rules Committee and also may serve as NGFA arbitrators.
NGFA Regular Associate
NGFA Regular Associate members include "any individual or firm engaged in a business allied with the grain or feed trade, or a foreign firm engaged in the grain or feed industry without facilities in the United States which does not qualify for membership as an Associate/Trading member" and is not a Rail Associate member. Barge companies not choosing to be Allied members, suppliers, accountants, law firms and others are NGFA Regular Associate members.
NGFA Affiliated Association
NGFA Affiliated Association members include "any Association composed of persons or firms engaged in the grain or feed trade, or related business." Thirty-seven state and regional grain and feed associations are NGFA Affiliated Association members. Each NGFA Affiliated Association member has the right to vote at NGFA meetings, such as the annual business meeting. In addition, the majority of NGFA Affiliated Association members have the right to appoint a director to the NGFA Board of Directors. Appointed directors have the same rights as elected directors.