“We’ve seen our numbers surpass anything we’ve seen in the past,” he confirms. “We’ve hit about 10 percent growth in southbound crossings and about 13 percent growth for northbound crossings since last year.”
As for the amount of produce that crosses through Pharr, Bazan says the numbers are “staggering.” Nearly 65 percent of produce that originates from Mexico comes through the Pharr port of entry, he estimates.
There are also a handful of exciting projects in the works. “By the year 2021, hopefully sooner, we’ll have built five major infrastructure projects inside the federal port of entry,” Bazan explains.
The projects will add more commercial northbound entry and exit lanes; construction of a regional agricultural training center and lab; and a dock expansion, which he says “will be a cold inspection facility for fresh produce that requires different temperature settings for different types of products coming in from Mexico. So,” Bazan continues, “these projects are tailored for the produce industry.”
Funding & Future Goals
Funding will come from a “public-private partnership that will allow us to fast-track these projects,” Bazan explains. “We know the federal government does not have the needed funding, nor the resources. Instead of waiting 10 or 15 years for these projects, the city of Pharr can do it in the next 4 or 5 years.” He says the City of Pharr will have invested about $30 million by the time the projects are completed.
Year after year, as traffic across the Pharr International Bridge continues to grow, Bazan says these types of expansion projects are necessary. “Over the next 10 years, we’re forecasted to average year after year anywhere from 18,000 to 20,000 additional trucks coming through this bridge,” he observes.
“That’s a great forecast for us and we couldn’t be happier,” he stresses, “but at the same rate, we know there’s a lot more trade to be done. We’re working towards becoming the model port of entry.”
Roadblocks in the Valley
While the future certainly looks bright for the Valley, the region’s buyers and sellers have faced several familiar obstacles in the last year—from weather and shortages to food safety and trade negotiations. And of course, there are always more challenges, any given day, on the horizon.
Food Safety Protocols
One challenge of major consequence is compliance with a component of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) food safety protocols. Though importers and suppliers have been aware of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), they must now get into compliance with its requirements or face serious consequences.
