AgNet DEMO

Category: Exports/Imports

  • War of Deception: Consumer Awareness Key in Support of American Farmers

    In the ongoing war between supporting local farmers against the influx of imports, American farmers need consumers to fight back.

    The significance of where food originates may never be more important than it is right now. With imports continuing to flood markets for various commodities, the end result is farmers contemplating selling their land. Others are wondering what else can be done to slow the decline of the American farmer.

    “As long as the decision of what’s in the grocery store is based on the consumer, I think we’ll be okay,” said Wade Purvis, who farms in Immokalee, Florida and is part of the Farmers Alliance. “But the problem is the decision that’s being made is, there’s an intermediate group of marketers that stand between the growers and the chain stores. They may have ‘family farms’ in their name or ‘something farms’ in their name, and the chain stores either don’t bother exploring it and figuring it out or are just too lazy to even worry about it.”

    The deception continues to have a negative impact on local producers.

    “The country-of-origin labeling is so adulterated in the grocery stores. It’s basically piled up in there with domestic stuff and there’s a little bitty captioning at the bottom back of the bag that says product of Mexico. It’s placed on a shelf under ‘Jimmy John and his family farms’ in Cairo, Georgia, and it’s clearly giving the perception that’s his stuff there when it absolutely isn’t,” Purvis said.

    Year-Round Service

    Chain stores need produce year-round, so the problem is exacerbated. Purvis said most farmers can’t invest millions of dollars into producing a crop 12 months out of the year. These deceivers are able to take advantage.

    “Most farmers are regional. They have crops in Immokalee (Fla.), they have crops in South Georgia, they have crops in Central Florida. There’s just a small handful that have the wherewithal to have product 12 months out of the year,” Purvis said. “That being said, these marketers that I’m describing, they’ve got ‘x-y’ farms in their name and they have solved a problem for the chain stores. They’ve got a number they can call 12 months out of the year. They’ve got the product. They source it from anywhere and everywhere. That’s how that evolved.”

    Consumers Asking Questions

    Purvis believes that one positive from the ongoing pandemic is the consumer awareness of where their food originates. Now more than ever, they are asking about where their vegetables and specialty crops are coming from.

    “I think you would find unanimous feedback from the chain stores that the consumer is becoming very much aware. They’re asking questions and putting pressure on them. ‘Why have I got Honduran watermelons in my supermarket in Naples when there’s watermelons in Immokalee that they can’t get rid of,’” Purvis said. “If we keep the heat on and the awareness out there, I think the consumer will put enough pressure on the retailer that it’ll make the difference.”

  • Georgia Vegetable Farmer: Blueberry Verdict Took Wind out of my Sails

    Farmers of squash and cucumbers will have their say with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in two weeks. But don’t count Georgia farmer Jason Tyrone as one who is optimistic about farmers’ chances of convincing the USITC that imports are inflicting serious injury on the domestic crop.

    He just points to the USITC verdict regarding blueberries.

    “I hope I’m wrong, but the way the blueberry thing went, it took all the wind out of my sails,” Tyrone said. “Honestly, I think blueberry guys in South Georgia have as big of a gripe as anybody. I think they’re hurting them worse than anybody, from what I hear. If they didn’t stand a chance, I don’t see where we do. Even though we are being greatly impacted, it’s not any worse than what’s happening to the blueberry guys.”

    Tycor Farms

    Tyrone farms with Brian Corbett at Tycor Farms in Lake Park, Georgia. They produce squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, hot peppers, cabbage, egg plant and green beans.

    USITC Investigations

    The USITC is investigating both cucumbers and squash with a focus on the U.S. Southeast. According to the USITC, it is examining the effect of imports on the domestic seasonal markets of both commodities in separate but concurrent investigations and will produce two separate reports. The reports will provide, to the extent practical:

    • descriptions of the effects of imports on the domestic seasonal markets of the products in question, with particular focus on production and the competitiveness of cucumbers and squash grown in the Southeastern United States;
    • information on recent trends in trade in these products between the United States and its trading partners, including information on seasonal patterns of trade; and
    • descriptions of monthly price trends for these products in the United States, including an analysis and comparison of the prices of domestically produced and imported products in the U.S. market, with a focus on the 2015-2020 time period. 

    The USITC will host a public hearing in connection with the investigations on April 8, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

    “(Imports) does impact us. I won’t say that it impact us as heavy; obviously, the south Florida window that’s in right now, they’re in more direct competition,” Tyrone said. “Mexico definitely impacts us on squash and cucumbers. That’s what hits me the hardest; pepper as well, which is probably our main commodity is bell pepper. They do impact us on that, but I would say they are capable of crushing the squash and cucumber markets pretty easily.”

    Increasingly More Problematic

    What’s especially problematic is how imports have skyrocketed in recent years. According to Zhengfei Guan, University of Florida Associate Professor, Florida production of bell peppers doubled what was imported from Mexico in 2000. But in 2019, Mexican imports totaled more than a billion pounds, compared to Florida which totaled a little more than 300 million.

    “It’s escalating. As long as I’ve been in the industry, it’s been affecting south Florida. They just would catch us on the tail end of a season because we don’t overlap quite as much. I haven’t been to Mexico and haven’t, with my own eyes, seen what’s going on but what I hear, I think they’re adapting to grow outside the windows they used to be in by changes in elevation; by using shade cloths during the hot times,” Tyrone said. “I think they’re overlapping with us more and more and with more commodities.

    “Pepper used to never be a problem for us with Mexico, and now it is.”

  • End in Sight? Florida Producers to Continue to Struggle Amid Rising Imports

    Florida producers will continue to struggle if the issue of Mexican imports is not addressed, says Zhengfei Guan, UF/IFAS Associate Professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department.

    United States of America and Mexico waving flag

    Farmers in the Sunshine State will always face an uphill battle if imports of such crops like tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries and blueberries are allowed to continue.

    “They’re going to have a tough time if the Mexican imports issue is not addressed. Florida production of some major crops have been declining over the years. The imports have been increasing dramatically over the last two decades,” Guan said.

    “Tomatoes, for example, back in the year 2000, we had more production than the imports from Mexico. The production from Florida was 20% higher than the imports from Mexico. But over the last 20 years, things have changed dramatically, Now, the Mexican imports in the United States market are five times more than Florida production. That’s a dramatic shift of the market position.”

    Florida producers like Sam Accursio and Kim Jamerson have voiced their concerns about the impact that imports have had on their farming operations. Both have hinted at ending their farming careers. It’s not because their love for feeding the world has faded. But imports have made it unsustainable for American farmers to continue growing and producing food.   

    “Once (Mexico) got into the game, they caught up very fast. Basically, they started blueberry exports to the United States about 10 years ago, around 2009. In a period of 10 years, they increased exports to the United States by more than a 100-fold. That’s really, really dramatic,” Guan said.

    Click here for more information from UF regarding the rise of imports.

  • Taking its Toll: Strawberry Imports Creating Strain on Farmers

    The International Trade Committee’s (ITC) decision regarding blueberry imports was shocking to Florida’s blueberry producers. It was no less surprising to the state’s strawberry farmers who have their own ITC investigation under way.

    “Our jaws dropped. We know how bad the blueberry deal is and they said they were 5-0 voting against it,” said Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida. “I scratched my head to that and was like, ‘Well, I don’t think strawberries even have a chance.’”

    The ITC deemed in February that imports of fresh, chilled or frozen blueberries are not a serious injury to the domestic industry. It goes against what members of the American Blueberry Growers Alliance testified about during the virtual hearing with the ITC in January.

    “We were in a board meeting when we got the news. If they didn’t get one person to rule in their favor, we ain’t going to get none. To me, blueberries were in a worse position than we were,” Parke said. “The problem is, too, if it was regional; they’re taking a nationwide perspective, but if they would have done a southeast perspective from the Carolinas down to Florida, I don’t see how they could vote against it. It should have been unanimous.”

    In early December, the ITC instituted two monitoring factfinding investigations into U.S. imports of fresh or chilled strawberries. This was made in a request from the U.S. Trade Representative.

    Statistically Speaking

    According to a presentation by UF’s Zhengfei Guan, Florida strawberry production was approximately 220 million pounds in 2000, while strawberry imports from Mexico totaled approximately 70 million pounds. In 2019, Florida production maxed out at 200 million pounds, compared to Mexico’s approximate 400 million.

    How can producers like Parke compete when everything is stacked against them?

    “Mexico has really affected our industry since NAFTA. The first couple of years NAFTA wasn’t so bad. People were still figuring out they could go down there and still invest their money and produce berries a whole lot cheaper,” Parke said. “The third or fourth year of NAFTA, we used to have maybe 200 growers here in Plant City. Between then and now we’re down to probably 50 growers. It’s just because a lot of people went belly up and couldn’t compete.

    “Here in Florida, my guys average $100 a day picking berries. In Mexico, they pay them $5.20 to pick every day. Two-thirds of my cost is harvesting. How can I compete with that?”

    Parke said the market is not great right now. Along with Mexico’s strawberry imports, Florida is picking a pile, and California’s picking a pile. The market is reflecting the increased supply.

    “Mexico has really taken a toll on the American farmer,” Parke said.

  • Florida Grower: Why Even Do This?

    Florida vegetable farmers are tired of voicing their displeasure with imports from Mexico. Some are seeing the writing on the wall; the end is nearing for American farmers.

    Kim Jamerson, whose husband grew up on a family farm and has been farming since age 6, is ready to sell her farm.

    It is not because she doesn’t enjoy the work she’s called a career for 17 years. It is because Mexican imports of vegetables and specialty crops have made it impossible for her to remain competitive.

    “I see an end coming because I’m going to sell the farm. It’s not going to be instant. I’m fortunate that I have a good piece of property that’s going to go into a good real estate sale eventually. Am I going to sell the farm today? No. Am I going to list the farm probably in the next two months? Yes, I am,” Jamerson said.

    Not the Last

    She’s not the first and likely won’t be the last to call it quits due to imports.

    Just a couple of weeks ago, Sam Accursio, a vegetable farmer in Homestead, Florida who produces pickle and cucumber, green beans and yellow and green squash on about 4,400 acres, said he “sees it ending,” in the next couple of years.

    Jamerson farms approximately 1,280 acres of produce in the Fort Myers area. This includes eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber and green pepper. It costs her almost $10 per box to break even, whereas Mexico is importing pepper at around $1.95.

    Statistics support Florida farmers’ claims that imports are driving them out of business. Florida produced 1.6 billion pounds of tomatoes in 2000, 20% higher than Mexico. But now Mexico imports (3.6 billion pounds) five times more than what Florida produces (750 million pounds). Mexico’s imports of bell peppers totaled more than a billion pounds in 2019, compared to Florida, which totaled a little more than 300 million.

    It is hard not to empathize with Florida vegetable farmers who have slowly seen their livelihoods being taken away.

    “I can tell you right now, I loved farming. My family liked farming; they love it. It just gets harder and harder every year. It’s getting to the point where it’s like, why even do this?” Jamerson said.

  • Florida Farmer: I’ve Got a Bad Taste in My Mouth for Mexico

    Count Kim Jamerson as another Florida vegetable producer who is being negatively impacted by imports from Mexico.

    “I’ve got a bad taste in my mouth for Mexico,” said Jamerson in Fort Myers, Florida.

    She farms approximately 1,280 acres of produce in south Florida, including eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber and green pepper.

    Jamerson struggles to keep pace with Mexican imports in pepper production. It costs her $9.50 per box to break even, which accounts for labor, diesel and the box itself.

    “They’re bringing in pepper for like $1.95 and they’re bringing it on commission, a whole box of peppers, which means they can sell it for $0.50 a box. I’m not saying that they did, I’m saying that they could,” Jamerson said. “That is a really bad situation.”

    What can be Done?

    Jamerson is trying to coordinate with the Florida Ag Commissioner’s office and Florida Senator Marco Rubio to try to find a reasonable solution. She proposes that a limited amount of pepper be brought into Florida and also believes Mexico needs to be importing at $9.50 per box. That’s the price that farmers must break even for, not even make money off of.

    “The other night at 3 o’clock in the morning, I was out at our farm in my pajamas in pouring down rain trying to save our bell peppers. I’m stupid, because what I should have done was let all those bell peppers drown and collect my insurance I have on it,” Jamerson said. “I would have made more money by collecting the insurance that I had them insured for instead of saving them to compete against a $1.95 box of pepper from Mexico.”

    Bell Pepper Imports

    University of Florida Associate Professor Zhengfei Guan describes in a webinar how much bell pepper imports have risen in the last two decades. In 2000, Florida production totaled more than 600 million pounds, while Mexican imports tallied approximately 300 million pounds. In 2019, Florida production dropped to under 400 million pounds, compared to Mexico with more than a billion pounds.

    The future looks bleak for the future of American farmers. Producers like Sam Accursio are already signaling an end to their agricultural careers in the near future.

    “I don’t see the next generation farming unless they go into some kind of import business and buy produce from out of the country, call themselves farmers and sell it. I don’t see them out there at 3 o’clock in the morning in the pajamas, making no money. Who’s going to do that?” Jamerson added.

  • Statistically Speaking: Data Supports Mexican Imports’ Impact on Florida

    Fruit produced in Mexico.

    Florida producers have been protesting Mexican imports and the devastating impact they’re having on market prices for years. But just how bad have imports from Mexico been in several key commodities?

    University of Florida Associate Professor Zhengfei Guan describes in a webinar how much imports have risen in the last two decades.

    Strawberries

    “In 2000, strawberry imports from Mexico were one-third of the total production in Florida, while in 2019, Mexican imports were two times higher than the Florida production,” Guan said.

    Florida strawberries totaled approximately 220 million pounds in 2000 compared to Mexico’s 70 million. Almost 20 years later, Florida production was about 200 million pounds compared to Mexico’s 405 million.

    Blueberries

    Mexican imports of blueberries were non-existent before 2009. But in 2019 they totaled a little more than 90 million pounds, compared to Florida’s approximate 24 million.

    “The blueberry case is even more surprising. This shows how fast Mexico can catch up once it gets into the game. Imports in 2019 were roughly four times higher than Florida production, growing more than a 100-fold over 10 years,” Guan said.

    Vegetables

    The disparity in production is not isolated to fruits. Florida produced 1.6 billion pounds of tomatoes in 2000, 20% higher than Mexico. But now imports from Mexico are five times higher than Florida production.

    Mexico imported approximately 3.6 billion pounds in 2019 compared to Florida’s approximate 750 million.

    “Florida production has dropped 50% over the last 20 years,” Guan said.

    It’s a similar concern for bell pepper farmers. Florida production in 2000 doubled what was imported from Mexico. But in 2019, Mexican imports totaled more than a billion pounds, compared to Florida which totaled a little more than 300 million.

    “The consequences for Florida is not just shrinking market share but depressed market prices. Over the last 15 years, blueberry prices have dropped from $6.30 per pound to $2.60. The prices for other crops were basically flat,” Guan said.

  • Florida Vegetable Producer: I See it Ending

    Another vegetable season means another chance for Mexican imports to deflate market prices. For one Florida producer, the consistent supply of imported cucumbers and squash could lead to an unexpected early retirement.

    Cucumbers.

    “We cannot make a move without checking to see what Mexico’s doing first. It’s very disheartening for a man that was charged by God to feed the world,” Sam Accursio said. “It’s a strange feeling that this is all I’ve done for the last 35 years and I see it ending.

    “Free trade is putting growers out of business. The ones that are lucky enough to have assets, they will sell their assets, and we will rely on third-world countries to feed this great nation. We’re selling what we harvest but at below production costs.”

    Background

    Accursio produces pickle and cucumber, green beans, and yellow and green squash on 4,400 acres in the Homestead, Florida area. Between unfair trade and the lack of skilled labor, challenges continue to mount for Accursio and other producers like himself. He insists they will farm next year. But who knows after that?

    “We still have (around) 60 days of harvest. I feel we’re going to pay the bills. I’m optimistic that we are,” Accursio said. “We will go again next year. But the battle we’re fighting, I think there’s too many obstacles.”

    USITC Investigation

    The U.S. International Trade Commission is currently seeking input for two factfinding investigations on the impact of imported cucumbers and squash on the domestic seasonal markets. The USITC will hold a public hearing with the investigations on April 8. But considering the unanimous verdict the USITC already rendered that said imported blueberries do not cause serious injury to the domestic crop, there is little hope for vegetable farmers like Accursio.

    “I think as a nation we’re screwed until we do something about the imports coming through that border. We’ve been fighting this fight for 40 years, 35 years. Growers are dropping left and right and there’s no young bucks coming in to take our place,” Accursio added. “It’s a little scary for young people.”

  • Uphill Battle: Florida Strawberry Producers Challenged This Year

    UF/IFAS photo: Shows strawberries produced.

    One of Florida’s most challenging strawberry seasons is nearing the homestretch of its 2020-21 season. Between insects, Neopestalotiopsis disease and rising imports from Mexico, strawberry farmers have faced an uphill battle all season, says Dustin Grooms, strawberry producer with Fancy Farms in Plant City, Florida.

    “Things have been challenging this year. It’s been a tough year. The volume was off for pretty much, and it’s still off, all year. We’ve been dealing with chili thrips that seem to be giving us a fit. They’ll actually bronze the berry and take away from that red look. It becomes unmarketable,” Grooms said. “They’ll eat the plant down to nothing. We’ve been fighting them all year. We’ve got spider mites that this year have been relentless and have thrown everything and the book at them. They just keep on coming.”

    Neopestalotiopsis Disease

    The main problem has been Neopestalotiopsis. The disease was first discovered during the 2018-19 season and has increased in instances and intensity ever since. It develops quickly, produces spores on the leaves and causes leaf spots on strawberry plants. It can cause severe leaf spotting and fruit rot under favorable weather conditions.

    “This year we’ve seen it right away. It’s been a thorn in our side all season. I think everybody has tried everything they can think of and other people’s thought of, nothing seems to combat it very well,” Grooms said. “It appears that it can actually live in the crown of the plant and if we transplant next year, it may pick it up. That’s where we’re at right now, thinking about next year of what we can do to mitigate that problem.”

    Grooms said the disease flares up with rain and hot weather, a consistent combination in Florida. One weather event of rain and extreme heat contributed to the disease exploding overnight.

    “It’s just been one problem after another. It seems that we can’t get out of one problem before we’re in another one. We’ve just been dealing with all this off and on all year. None of it has ever went away,” said Grooms, who estimates that about 40% of his 125 acres have been impacted by the disease.

    End of Season

    Florida strawberry producers are nearing an end to this season. Grooms added that how long it lasts will depend on how long the chain stores continue buying.

    “We always like to say we’d like to go to Easter. On my personal farm, I couldn’t tell you the last time we went to Easter was. It’s been probably a decade ago,” Grooms said. “We would love to get to the end of the month. The fruit’s here. It’s just, what’s going to happen? We don’t know.”

    Easter is April 4 this year.

  • Dumping Produce: Mexican Imports Flooding Market

    It is the same old story that Florida producers have, unfortunately, grown accustomed to.

    Another week, another dose of vegetable imports from Mexico that diminish market prices. Florida farmers continue to take the brunt of financial punishment.

    Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus, confirmed the dire news that Mexican produce continues to flood the American market, driving down producer prices.

    “The only problem is Mexico is dumping a bunch of pepper and tomato. We’re seeing in places like $5 for tomato and $2 to $3 for pepper on consignment. Break-even is somewhere north of $8.50. We’d like to get $12 to $15 a box,” McAvoy said.

    “Some of our growers wonder if the fact that the blueberry decision they found against the Southeast blueberry growers, that might have given them the green light to go ahead and do whatever they want again.”

    Blueberry Decision

    The blueberry decision refers to the verdict rendered by the International Trade Commission that imports did not do serious injury to blueberry’s domestic industry. The commission arrived at the decision despite overwhelming evidence that Mexico and other countries had garnered the market share, while Florida producers struggled to compete.

    A main issue with the vegetable industry is Mexico is not simply selling produce, it is ‘dumping’ it for cheap prices.

    “The cardboard box that you put the pepper in, in the United States it’s a $1.75, $1.78, somewhere in that vicinity. How do you sell that product for $2 to $3? Their boxes cost as much as our boxes, if not more, you know what I mean?” McAvoy said. “They’re simply dumping, and they get away with it.”