The Not-So-Sunny Side
While demand is rising for many of Florida’s fruits and vegetables, suppliers across the state continue to face numerous obstacles, from pests and disease to labor shortages and the always unpredictable weather. One of the more pressing issues this year has been mounting competition from Mexico, which Jimmy Myrick, vice president of Edward L. Myrick Produce, Inc., says is “putting a lot of pressure on Florida growers.”
Most are quite interested in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is one the FFVA’s top initiatives this year. “Under NAFTA, increased shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables into the United States during Florida’s harvest season has significantly hurt the profitability of Florida producers and their ability to compete,” asserts Lochridge. “The damage has been particularly high in the tomato, strawberry, and pepper markets.”
Under NAFTA, U.S. tomato acreage has dropped by 25 percent while Mexico’s heavily subsidized production has increased by an unprecedented 230 percent, Lochridge says. “The Trump administration’s call to renegotiate NAFTA has opened the door for Florida to raise the issue of the harm the trade pact has caused our fresh produce industry for the past two decades.”
The FFVA has been working with the state’s agriculture department, ele-cted leaders, and the White House to remedy the situation as NAFTA is ren-egotiated. “We’ve been successful in bringing the issue to the table and are continuing to push for a solution,” Lochridge says.
The Road Ahead
Facing uncertainties is nothing new to Florida’s produce purveyors. But in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, previous issues involving labor and competition are no longer top concerns as every- one along the supply chain assesses the damage to their livelihoods and begins the rebuilding process. Though the road ahead will be difficult, Floridians are more than up to the challenge and will prevail.
Images: VAlekStudio, Roman Samokhin, Alan Sheldon/Shutterstock.com
