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US allows more avocado imports from mexico { December 1 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/11624357p-12513902c.htmlhttp://www.sacbee.com/content/business/story/11624357p-12513902c.html
U.S. allows more avocado imports from Mexico
By Michael Doyle -- Bee Washington Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, December 1, 2004
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WASHINGTON - The Bush administration on Tuesday expanded imports of Hass avo cados, granting the Mexican government a diplomatic victory but overriding early resistance from California farmers and lawmakers.
In a much-anticipated decision, the Agriculture Department declared the Hass avocados grown in Mexico can be distributed in all states starting Jan. 31 except California, Florida and Hawaii. The expanded distribution eventually will include all states.
"There is minimal risk associated with an expanded import program," said Melissa O'Dell, spokeswoman for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The Mexican government has been seeking the change for years in a fight that's played out on Capitol Hill, at international trade talks and in a Fresno courthouse. It's left some bruises.
"Clearly, California growers still have some very serious concerns about pest infestations from increased imports," said Thom as Bellamore, senior vice president of the California Avocado Commission.
Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer likewise said, through her spokesman David Sandretti, that "the Department of Agriculture should have gone further to keep pest-ridden avocados out of the state."
At the same time, Bellamore said California growers are "certainly pleased" that the Agriculture Department agreed to postpone Mexican shipments to California by another two years. Boxer likewise praised the longer phase-out for California, while saying it should have been extended to neighboring states.
"We think that the two-year exclusion will ensure domestic growers are protected," Bella more said.
Consumers can expect lower prices. After all, the average U.S. wholesale price of $1.08 per pound is more than twice the average Mexican wholesale price of 46 cents per pound.
On the other hand, some California producers could lose out. One Agriculture Department estimate predicts prices paid to California growers could fall by as much as 20 percent.
"California producers will be economically harmed," Agriculture Department officials conceded in their formal notice, but "we have no reason to expect the demise of the California avocado industry."
California now claims about 4,800 avocado farms, primarily in San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Riverside counties.
While the number of California farms has been shrinking, imports from Mexico have been growing dramatically. Even with the existing import limits, Mexican avocado shipments to the United States more than doubled between 2001 and 2003, to 77 million pounds.
California producers grew 335 million pounds last year.
This prospect of stiffer competition helped spur some of the 17,000 public comments received by the Agriculture Department following its initial proposal to expand the avocado imports. In partial response, the department agreed to several changes, including delaying the expanded distribution to all 50 states for two years.
The delay is consistent with the avocado controversy's long lifespan. A U.S. ban on Mexican avocado imports held for 83 years, until the Agriculture Department partially lifted it in 1997. Officials said at the time they could control the spread of fruit flies.
The state's avocado growers, nonetheless, filed a 2001 lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Fresno. The lawsuit contended the Agriculture Department hadn't yet obtained congressional approval or completed a required environmental study. A decision is pending.
"We've made our case," Bellamore said, "and we think now it's up to the court to decide."
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