Last week, a bipartisan letter was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the USDA to “immediately reverse” its decision to suspend Section 8e grapefruit juice content standards for imported grapefruits via marketing order “Patch #65.” The letter was led by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and Ted Cruz, and signed by 20 congressional members from Florida and Texas.
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association issued the following statement in support of this action:
“Low-cost, low-quality grapefruit from Mexico has been entering the U.S. for weeks now due to the USDA’s suspension of the juice content requirement for imports. Juice content is a key component of quality and a federal standard Florida and Texas growers are required to meet.”
FFVA is pleased that members of the Florida and Texas congressional delegation have shown such strong support in seeking relief for domestic grapefruit growers. The Dec. 9, 2021, bipartisan letter is a positive step in our ongoing efforts to reinstate federal requirements for imports immediately and to seek information regarding the circumstances of the suspension.
Unfortunately, the association says this regulatory ‘patch’ has already resulted in millions of dollars in real economic harm to growers in Florida and Texas. If we do not ensure a level playing field for American producers of fresh fruits and vegetables, we will become a country that relies on foreign sources for its food and that is a national security issue.
To stem the harm the USDA has initiated against U.S. producers, the FFVA urges the USDA to reverse the suspension immediately and permanently using expedited procedures.”
Read the full congressional letter here.
One Florida-based grower who deals with both Mexico and U.S citrus agrees with the proposed rule trying to be implemented. “There is a need for Mexican product but it must be on level playing field. Labor and cost are already cheaper in Mexico and if you allow inferior fruit standards that our U.S. growers are held to, they cannot survive in the future,” he says. “The allowance of not having to have the same standards should have never been allowed in the first place. This was a major mistake on the government. But, it also need to be corrected for the consumer as well.”
For more information:
Christina Morton
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
Tel: +1 (321) 214-5206
[email protected]
https://www.ffva.com/