Industry Support and Praise
For those working in the perishables industry, the bridge is a major asset and source of pride. Moreno confirms the bridge has had a big impact on produce, “giving us more flexible access to drivers and different options for routes.”
Salinas touts the convenience: “One-stop shopping has helped offer variety, giving the ability to do partial loads with mixers. You can get a half-load of tomatoes with something else.” This was also helped along by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which certified more growing regions in Mexico as eligible to export to the United States.
For many of these newly certified states in Mexico, the bridge has opened access to American suppliers, offering opportunity where there was little before. It also gives U.S. suppliers on the other side of the border a wider product range and more steady supply. “It’s helping some [growers] who could not reach out as far in miles to get here,” Salinas says.
DeBerry agrees. “The USDA finally agreed to certify all of Mexico as growing areas available to market fruit into the United States.” Previously, he notes, “only the state of Michoacán was certified to market avocados into the USA.” This new development could bring Jalisco to the market as soon as June 2017. Other growing regions await certification and do not have access to the United States, but still export to Canadian, Asian, and European markets.
Ruiz sums it up this way: the Pharr Bridge “has turned the Rio Grande Valley from an area of importance to an area of critical importance.” He believes the continuing expansion of the bridge has nourished the city of Pharr with investments, an influx of commerce, and is an overall blessing to the region. The bridge, he notes, “makes getting things into the United States from Mexico cheaper, and encourages a lot of new produce businesses in this area—which helps increase economic health and in turn attracts more workers, citizens, and businesses.”
Images: Foodpictures, Karin Hildebrand Lau, 3RUS, Artgraphixel/Shuterstock.com
