Mexico

Divine Flavor Launches Early-Season Grape Innovation

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:13:49 GMT

As the Mexican table grape season begins to ramp up, early Sonoran harvests are already making their way to market, with first arrivals landing in late April and early May, says Divine Flavor. For the Nogales, Ariz.-based grower-importer and its parent company, Grupo Alta, the 2026 season marks an exciting milestone in early-season innovation with the first harvests of Arra Honey Pop.

Developed in partnership with Grapa Global, Arra Honey Pop represents years of collaborative trials aimed at redefining expectations for early-season grapes, the company says. The goal was to deliver a white seedless variety that combines true earliness with exceptional eating quality, something Divine Flavor says has long been considered difficult to achieve.

“Each year, we are seeing breakthroughs in grape varietal development and innovation within the category — whether it’s sweeter, larger grapes, improved harvest timing or refined flavor profiles,” says Alan Aguirre Camou of Divine Flavor. “Arra Honey Pop is exactly the type of early-season white seedless grape we’ve been looking for, and while this year’s crop is still limited as we continue expanding plantings, we’ve been extremely impressed with what we’ve seen so far in our vineyards.

“The fruit has shown outstanding sweetness, crunch and flavor, and we’re very excited about the future potential of this variety in the seasons ahead,” Aguirre Camou continues.

A Grape Designed to Overcome Challenges

According to Grapa’s commercial team, Arra Honey Pop was developed to overcome a long-standing industry challenge: achieving full flavor, texture and appearance in grapes harvested at the very start of the season.

“It’s our genetics that have made true earliness possible without compromising quality,” says Shachar Karniel, breeder at Grapa Global. “There has long been an assumption that early-season grapes cannot fully develop texture and flavor, but with this new generation — including Arra Honey Pop, Arra Fire Kiss and Arra Fire Crunch — we’re proving that both sweetness and crunch can be fully realized, even at the earliest harvest timing.”

Beyond eating quality, the variety offers strong advantages in the field, says the company. With high fertility, uniform ripening and minimal intervention required, Arra Honey Pop delivers consistent fruit quality from vine to market.

Divine Flavor is debuting early-season grape innovation.

(Photo courtesy of Divine Flavor)

Built for the Supply Chain

From a commercial standpoint, Arra Honey Pop has demonstrated impressive postharvest performance — an essential trait for global distribution, the company says.

“Our genetics allowed us to avoid common issues like browning, which is often associated with muscat-flavored grape varieties,” says Nomi Karniel-Padan, commercial director at Grapa Global.

Karniel-Padan says this has enabled Arra Honey Pop to maintain its clean appearance and quality while still delivering a subtle hint of muscat flavor.

“The grape has a clean, creamy appearance and strong berry attachment, making it ideal for export,” says Karniel-Padan. “When you bite into it, you get that firm, crunchy texture with a light honeydew flavor that consumers really respond to. It consistently arrives in excellent condition, even across longer supply chains.”

For growers within Divine Flavor and Grupo Alta’s network, one of the standout advantages has been operational simplicity, say the companies. Unlike many early varieties that require multiple harvest passes, Arra Honey Pop can often be picked in a single pass, ensuring uniform maturity and quality, they say.

Expanding the Early-Season Portfolio

In addition to a white grape, the partnership between Divine Flavor, Grupo Alta and Grapa Global is also setting the stage for a broader early-season lineup.

“The ‘Grapa Red Factor’ is truly a game changer,” says Karniel-Padan. “It begins with Arra Fire Kiss, followed by Arra Fire Crunch, creating a much-needed early-season red offering for the industry.”

Divine Flavor says Arra Fire Kiss challenges the notion that early reds must sacrifice quality, offering full red color, balanced sweetness and a complete eating experience at the front end of the season. It is followed by Arra Fire Crunch, which it says delivers exceptional crispness and a vibrant red color that maintains its brightness, combining visual appeal with a satisfying bite.

Looking Ahead

While Arra Honey Pop remains in its early stages of production in Mexico, the promising results seen this season have reinforced Divine Flavor and Grupo Alta’s commitment to expanding plantings and continuing investment in next-generation early-season grape varieties, the companies say.

Together with Grapa Global, the companies say they are focused not only on advancing the future of early-season grape supply but also on elevating what retailers and consumers can expect from grapes at the very start of the season.

Beyond the Border: How Mexico is Shaping Produce's Global Fresh Future

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:38:04 GMT

As Mexico continues to solidify its role as one of the most influential markets in the global fresh produce and floral supply chain, industry leaders are watching how trade flows, shifts in consumer expectations and global dynamics reshape the future of fresh. Ahead of this year’s International Fresh Produce Association’s Mexico Conference in Guadalajara, The Packer connected with Jessica Keller, IFPA vice president of global industry relations, to discuss why Mexico matters now more than ever, the global trends transforming demand and how companies can position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly interconnected marketplace.

What makes Mexico a critical market in shaping the future of the fresh produce and floral industry?

Keller: Mexico is one of the most strategically important markets in the global fresh produce and floral industry, not just because of its scale, but because of its position in the global system. Mexico is both a powerhouse producer and exporter and a fast-evolving domestic consumer market. It plays a central role in feeding North America and is deeply integrated into regional supply chains, while increasingly influencing global sourcing, food safety, sustainability and labor practices.
Today, Mexico exports more than $18 billion in fresh produce globally, with the vast majority going to the United States. That underscores both its strength and its exposure. What happens in Mexico — whether it’s trade policy, logistics, climate adaptation, crop innovation or regulatory alignment — reverberates well beyond its borders. Mexico is not just a supplier; it’s a shaper of how the global industry continues to evolve.

What consumer trends are shaping demand for fresh produce in Mexico and globally?

What we’re seeing in Mexico closely mirrors global consumer trends, but often in a more amplified way. Consumers everywhere are demanding greater transparency and traceability, products that align with health and wellness goals and sustainability that is real, measurable and credible — not just marketing claims.

At the same time, they expect year-round availability at consistent quality, despite increasing climate pressures. What’s important is that these expectations are no longer regional; they’re globally synchronized. That raises the bar for producers and exporters everywhere and makes it more challenging, but also more critical, to balance these demands thoughtfully and strategically.

How are changing global dynamics impacting the industry today?

We’re seeing multiple forces collide at once — geopolitical uncertainty, climate disruption, labor constraints, rising trade complexity and shifting consumer expectations. As a result, supply chains are no longer optimized purely for efficiency. They’re being reevaluated for resilience, diversification and risk management.

For Mexico specifically, decades of success driven by heavy export concentration into North America have also created vulnerability to policy changes, logistical disruptions and buyer consolidation. That’s why the conversation today is shifting away from simply growing volume and toward building export resilience through market diversification and stronger cross-border partnerships. The companies that are succeeding are those that treat global dynamics as a strategic input, not just external noise.

What makes The Mexico Conference uniquely valuable compared to other industry gatherings?

The Mexico Conference stands out because of its strong focus on global education and real business outcomes. We offer in-depth insight into global market trends, along with buyer roundtables that are intentionally designed for deal-making.
These roundtables — now in their fourth year — connect suppliers directly with decision-makers in a highly focused, efficient format. We’re increasingly working to quantify the economic impact of those conversations, because meaningful transactions are happening at these tables.

The conference also facilitates critical cross-border dialogue on trade, sustainability and food safety, while providing direct access to leaders from Mexico, North America and, increasingly, global markets. This year, we’re seeing growing interest from buyers in Asia, particularly around commodities like bananas and avocados. That level of international engagement makes this event truly unique.

What opportunities does the conference unlock for companies looking to grow in or through the Mexican market?

The conference unlocks several important opportunities. First, it provides direct access to buyers and partners who are actively shaping sourcing and procurement strategies. Second, it offers critical insight into how Mexican production is evolving and where international collaboration is most needed. Third, it helps companies understand how to position themselves not just within Mexico, but how to leverage Mexico as a gateway to broader global growth. For companies considering expansion, this event shortens the distance between insight and execution by putting the right conversations and the right people in the same room at the same time.

What should industry leaders be doing now to stay competitive in an increasingly global and interconnected marketplace?

Leaders need to shift their mindset from reactive to intentional. That means investing in market intelligence and long-term planning, diversifying markets thoughtfully rather than opportunistically, and building partnerships that go beyond transactions.

It also means embedding sustainability, food safety and resilience into core business strategy — not treating them as add-ons. Competitiveness today isn’t defined by scale alone, but by adaptability, collaboration and clarity of strategy. In a global industry, no company succeeds in isolation.

That’s where organizations like IFPA play a critical role. Our mission is to create a vibrant future for all by advocating, connecting and guiding the global produce and floral industry. Events like The Mexico Conference bring that mission to life by creating the relationships, insights and shared understanding leaders need to navigate complexity and stay aligned with the markets and consumers that matter most.

Organizations and Agencies Formalize Zero Deforestation Agreement for Mexican Avocados for Export

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:57:25 GMT

The Association of Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers of Mexico (APEAM) has formalized a Zero Deforestation Agreement with Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), establishing a framework to ensure export-bound avocados meet environmental standards increasingly required in global markets.

The agreement creates a voluntary self-regulation system for avocado exports that is designed to verify compliance with Mexican environmental law while strengthening traceability and transparency across the supply chain. This builds on a Mexican federal requirement published in October 2025 mandating zero deforestation for agricultural exports and is a big milestone for the Mexican avocado industry’s sustainability commitment, which includes APEAM and the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), as part of the industry’s Path to Sustainability.

Under this framework, APEAM will serve as a coordinating governance body, overseeing implementation of a bilateral operational work plan that covers orchards, packing facilities, inspections, traceability and logistics for hass avocado exports to the U.S. In coordination with SEMARNAT and PROFEPA, the model introduces clear mechanisms to:

Identify orchards with potential environmental risk.
Support producers in meeting legal compliance requirements.
Require remediation or compensation measures when applicable.

Government agencies will retain full oversight and enforcement authority. The agreement is intended to provide greater assurance of supply chain compliance, reduce regulatory and reputational risk and support continued access to Mexican avocados under evolving environmental standards.

During the signing, Mexico Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena Ibarra said the agreement reflects closer coordination between government and industry to meet environmental obligations, while advancing trade and APEAM’s leadership in sustainability initiatives. APEAM says the framework will translate environmental requirements into verifiable and measurable actions, reinforcing the sector’s ability to meet international expectations.

“The agreement marks an important day for the industry and for the country,” says Raúl Martínez Pulido, president of APEAM. “Export avocado production to the United States only has a future if it is compatible with protecting our forests. The deal is not a symbolic gesture or a short-term response, but the natural evolution of a model built over nearly three decades on clear rules and shared responsibility. There is no competitiveness without legality, and no sustainable trade without environmental responsibility.”

The agreement reaffirms APEAM’s commitment to working alongside government authorities and commercial partners and is expected to strengthen regulatory certainty for producers and exporters while supporting long-term access to premium markets.

Mexico supplies more than 85% of avocados to the U.S., making the industry — represented by APEAM in Mexico and MHAIA in the U.S. — a critical component of the U.S. fresh produce market.

After Florida Freezes, West Mexico Shippers Eye Robust Spring Amid High Prices

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:41:33 GMT

A pair of damaging freezes in Florida this winter caused more than $3 billion in agricultural losses in that state and put a squeeze on supplies out of west Mexico. As a result, prices of Mexican produce were sent skyrocketing. Here’s a look at how some distributors near the Nogales, Ariz., port of entry are dealing with conditions this spring.

Ciruli Bros.

Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Ciruli Bros. has a substantial mango program and ships vegetables like cucumbers, squash and eggplant.

“We’ve had some of the highest prices I’ve seen in the past 30 years I’ve been doing this,” says partner Chris Ciruli.

Prices should settle down when the U.S. starts producing again in late March, he says.

The company also has experienced growth in demand for organic items including squash, peppers, cucumbers and cabbage.

Ciruli Bros.’ mango deal kicked off the last week of February with the “first-flower” harvest. Second flower was expected to begin around March 23.

That will lead into Easter business, Ciruli says, with clear sailing for harvesting and preparing for Cinco de Mayo.

“We’re trending ahead of where Mexico was harvesting for 2025,” he said the first week of March.

The company was shipping 100% Champagne mangoes in March and will begin round varieties after Easter, April 5.

“Pricing has been challenging,” he says.

Freight costs have risen, and the U.S.-Mexico currency exchange rate is not favorable. Last year the rate was 18 pesos per dollar. This year it has dropped to 16 pesos per dollar, Ciruli says.

Core products from Rio Rico, Ariz.-based IPR Fresh are conventional and organic hothouse colored bell peppers and hothouse cucumbers, says Mark Munger, vice president of marketing and business development. The company has expanded its west Mexico colored bell pepper program by partnering with new growers in the Sonora region, he says.

(Photo courtesy of IPR Fresh)

IPR Fresh

Rio Rico-based IPR Fresh has expanded its west Mexico colored bell pepper program by partnering with new growers in the Sonora region, says Mark Munger, vice president of marketing and business development.

“We also increased production with our existing grower partners, securing additional acreage and boosting overall bell pepper volume,” he says.

The company’s core products are conventional and organic hothouse colored bell peppers and hothouse cucumbers.

Weather conditions have been favorable for nearly the entire season in central and western Mexico, Munger says, adding that he’s confident market conditions will stay steady into spring.

“Cooler than normal weather in the southeastern U.S. this winter has kept demand strong, resulting in markets for west Mexico hothouse bell peppers that have remained very firm and slightly above historical averages for most of the season,” he says.

Quality and sizing have been strong for most of the season as well.

“Looking ahead to the remainder of the west Mexico program, we’re confident that this consistency will continue,” Munger says.

Grower Alliance

“Prices are through the roof right now on everything — green bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, watermelons, honeydews, hot peppers,” Jorge Quintero Jr., partner at Grower Alliance LLC in Rio Rico, said in early March.

Prices on up to 90% of the company’s items are strong because of the weather issues in Florida, he says.

“We’ve been able to see some really high prices to offset the bad prices we saw in the fall,” Quintero says.

Quality problems have been minimal, he says. However, some green beans have experienced whitefly infestations that don’t usually materialize until mid-April.

“[Green bean] yields probably will be lower, but with prices where they are right now, we should be able to come out all right,” he says.

The company’s volume should be similar to last year, if not a bit larger, Quintero says.

Caribe yellow chili peppers are among a number of items shipped by Rio Rico, Ariz.-based Rich River Produce LLC, says Edgar Duarte, sales manager. The company is expanding its warehouse by 20,000 square feet this spring, he says.

(Photo courtesy of Rich River Produce LLC)

Rich River

Rio Rico-based Rich River Produce LLC has experienced a hectic season, says Edgar Duarte, sales manager.

“Things started out sky high in October, then came off, then went up again after the freeze happened in Florida,” he says. “We’re expecting to have a strong finish to our season, which will probably go until June.”

The company has seen good but not great production out of west Mexico, he says.

“We are expecting good pricing and good order flow,” he adds.

Quality was looking good for new items now coming out of Hermosillo, Guaymas and Obregon in Sonora, he says. But the same could not be said for the tail end of the deal out of Sinaloa, which will wrap up around the end of March.

“Prices are high, quality is fair,” out of Sinaloa, he says.

“We’re running into issues here and there,” Duarte adds. “We’re not looking at diamonds, but they’re the same amount of money as if they were diamonds.”

Volume at Rich River Produce should be a bit higher than last year because growers were not sending out as much product a year ago because of low markets.

“Right now, with the situation the way it is, they’re sending us everything because they’re getting really good prices for it,” he says.

MAS Melons & Grapes

Rio Rico-based MAS Melons & Grapes will kick off its new honeydew program around April 1 and start watermelons the week of April 12, says Miguel Suarez Jr., sales manager. Good weather should bring on good quality, he says. Volume should be about the same as last year.

“Markets and quality are all pointing in a positive direction,” he says.

Honeydews and watermelons will continue to be shipped out of southern Mexico until the end of March and into April.

“That will take us into our northern Mexico deal probably pretty flawlessly,” he says.

The company also ships butternut squash and kabocha squash.

“The workhorse definitely in the summer is our watermelon and honeydew programs,” Suarez says.

The company has pulled back a bit from table grapes. The Mexican grape deal traditionally has been 10 to 12 weeks in the spring and summer, he says, but that has shrunk to about eight weeks.

“The majority of our acreage was in Caborca, which is the later part of the deal, which is becoming a little bit of a challenge,” he says.

Also, retailers tend to seek out year-round suppliers.

“We were basically a boutique grape company,” he says.

But Suarez is optimistic for the future.

“I do believe the boutique grape will be back at one point,” he says.

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$3B in Losses Estimated in Florida Freeze

Mexican Tropical Fruit Exports Stalled by Cartel Violence

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:34:51 GMT

HLB Specialties, a tropical fruit provider and importer of produce from Mexico, is advising customers of potential transportation delays due to ongoing unrest in the country.

Multiple road blockages are currently disrupting the movement of shipments in Mexico, after Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” a prominent cartel leader, was killed Sunday, according to HLB Specialties. Blockages include routes not directly affected by attacks on infrastructure or businesses.

In addition, says HLB Specialties, USDA suspended operations in Mexico on Monday. As a result, preclearance procedures have been temporarily paused, including irradiation, hot water treatment and required pre-inspections for certain crops.

“Our most recent guava and papaya shipments successfully crossed the border on Saturday before the unrest erupted and were not impacted,” said Andrés Ocampo, CEO of HLB Specialties in a news release. “We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with logistics partners and regulatory authorities to minimize disruption. Our teams are prioritizing safety while working to resume normal operations as quickly as possible.”

HLB Specialties says it will continue to provide updates as conditions evolve and preclearance activities resume. Customers with time-sensitive orders are encouraged to contact their account representative for the latest status and contingency options.

“It seems that so far today the situation is under control [and] things are calm,” Melissa Hartmann de Barros, director of communications for HLB Specialties, told The Packer in an email. “As of now, we don’t anticipate any delays with our products. We hope the situation continues to stay under control.”

For over 35 years, HLB Specialties has specialized in tropical fruits, including guavas, lychees, rambutans, papayas, mangosteen, drinking coconuts and more. The North American company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with distribution through its network in Pompano Beach, Fla.; Los Angeles; and McAllen, Texas, as well as direct air shipments to clients in Canada.

Together with its European sister company, HLB Tropical Food GmbH, headquartered in Germany, HLB supplies customers in more than 10 countries across North America, Europe and Asia.

Global Grape Group Gains Steam as It Aims to Grow Consumption

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:34:38 GMT

BERLIN — The Global Grape Group, an alliance of table grape producers from around the world, gained additional momentum at Fruit Logistica 2026, where the group shared its mission to unite the table grape industry to drive consumption and raise awareness of the fruit’s nutritional benefits, flavor profiles and versatility, with an aim to collectively position grapes as the go-to healthful snack in the U.S. and around the globe.

“We want Global Grape Group to evolve into a truly global alliance,” says Ignacio Caballero, Chile board member of the Global Grape Group and director of marketing for Frutas de Chile. “We’ve met with South Africa, and they’re interested in being part of GGG. We’ve also spoken with Brazil and California table grape producers and breeding companies. We have a platform that brings the whole industry under one roof.”

Launched in March 2025, the global alliance and its “Have a Grape Day” consumer campaign come at a critical time, as global table grape supplies continue to outpace consumption.

“The grape industry is at a turning point right now,” Caballero told The Packer this past March. “Supply has grown 80% in the last 20 years, while demand is only growing at 13%.”

Global Grape Group, now a formal LLC in the U.S., has three main objectives, Caballero says:

Increase consumption, starting in the U.S.
Share information.
Share best practices.

“Grapes compete as a positive, healthy snack, not against other fruit. The first step in driving consumption is to bring the industry together,” says Luis Miguel Vegas of the Peruvian Table Grape Producers Association and the International Blueberry Organization.

Collaboration is powerful, Caballero agrees.

“We can’t do it alone. We can’t solve problems alone. We need to have a communication network where we can pick up the phone and know who to talk to,” says Caballero, who sees Global Grape Group as an opportunity for the entire table grape industry to tap into the power of collaboration — from the world’s top producers to representatives in emerging markets.

While the founding Global Grape Group members include Chile, Peru and Mexico, the group aims to expand to include grape importers from around the world.

“Global Grape Group is taking the best from what blueberries and avocados have been able to do by working collaboratively and bringing that to grapes,” Caballero says. “We’re not here to just talk; we’re taking action with the goal of augmenting production and driving consumption across the world, working together as an industry on common challenges and creating new opportunities.”

From left, Ignacio Caballero, Colin Fain and Luis Miguel Vegas announce launch of The Global Grape Report at Fruit Logistica 2026.

(Photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Table Grape Intelligence

At Fruit Logistica 2026, the Global Grape Group announced a collaboration with marketing intelligence platform and consulting firm Agronometrics to launch The Global Grape Report, a new annual publication designed to deliver a comprehensive, data-driven overview of the global table grape industry.

The Global Grape Report will provide a consolidated view of global table grape production, trade flows and market dynamics, drawing on aggregated industry data and input from producing countries, according to the Global Grape Group. The report, intended to serve as a credible resource for growers, exporters, marketers and other industry stakeholders seeking timely and objective market intelligence, is set to debut in August at the 2026 International Table Grape Conference in Chile.

“The Global Grape Report represents an important step toward greater transparency in the global table grape market,” says Colin Fain, CEO of Agronometrics. “By combining robust analytics with industry collaboration, the initiative aims to support more informed decision-making across the table grape industry.”

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California Water Experts Call for Cooperation on Colorado River Impasse

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:32:08 GMT

There are just over two weeks left for the seven states that depend on the Colorado River to come to an agreement on how to manage its dwindling water resources. This water is critical to millions of people and agricultural acres across the river’s basin, as well as key sectors of California’s fresh produce industry.

If the states can’t agree on a management plan for the Colorado River by Feb. 14, the federal government may step in with its plans. Experts doubt those plans will solve the issues facing the Colorado River, however, and say it could likely result in decades of lawsuits and uncertainty.

While the states have been at an impasse for over two years now, California water and irrigation experts are hopeful for cooperation ahead of the deadline.

“It’s important that we remember as we move forward that we’re all in this together,” says Frank Venegas, water technician for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe. “We have to develop partnerships. If we have some partnerships already, [we have] to make them stronger as we move forward into this next era of the negotiations.”

Venegas was one of several panelists who spoke during a Jan. 28 webinar hosted by the California Natural Resources Agency. Panelists spoke on the relevance of the Colorado River water to California, the challenges facing it, what has happened to address those challenges and what needs to happen in the future of its management.

Not Enough Water to Go Around

Seven states and Mexico depend on and share the water of the Colorado River. The states are divided into the Upper Basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico) and the Lower Basin (California, Arizona and Nevada).

However, much like the situation between the U.S. and Mexico on the Rio Grande , the Colorado River is overallocated.

Michael Anderson, California state climatologist, explained during the webinar that the average flow through the river from 1910 to 2000 was roughly 15 million acre-feet annually. The 1922 Colorado River Compact operated on this reality, stipulating that the Upper and Lower Basins would each receive 7.5 MAF annually. Of the Lower Basin’s total allocation, California receives the lion’s share at 4.4 MAF. This also makes it the largest single recipient of Colorado River water in the entire basin.

The 1922 compact granted any water over the states’ 15 MAF allocation to Mexico. The 1944 treaty between the U.S. and Mexico changed this, allocating an additional 1.5 MAF annually to Mexico. This brought the river’s total annual allocations to 16.5 MAF.

Since the early 2000s, however, average annual flow rates have been slightly over 12.5 MAF because of extended drought in the Colorado River Basin. Experts expect the stress on the river and its basin will continue due to climate change and continued warming in the West.

Anderson explains that a warmer West means more moisture will be pulled out of the landscape, including the Colorado River. At the same time, climate change means storms are bigger and more intense, as well as more spread out and less predictable. Warmer temperatures also mean that snowpacks, on which the Colorado River depends, are getting smaller and less dependable.

All these factors also compound on one another. For example, the drier things get, the more dust there is on the landscape.

“Dust from the deserts being blown up onto the snowpack makes it melt earlier, meaning you have that longer period of dryness in the basin to stress the landscape even further,” Anderson says. “So a lot of forces [are] working to make things more challenging in the basin, to be sure.”

California Produce Needs Colorado River Water

Challenges to the Colorado River Basin pose a threat to everyone and everything that depends on its water.

While roughly 40 million people across the entire basin depend on water from the Colorado River, the river’s water also makes specific sectors of fresh produce possible, particularly in California. Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, points to the Imperial Irrigation District, which gets all of its water from the Colorado River Basin, as an example.

“Because they have such a long growing season with few days below freezing, the farmers in IID produce about two-thirds of the nation’s winter vegetables,” she says.

JB Hamby, vice chair of the IID board of directors and chair of the state’s Colorado River Board, quantifies the impact in another way, pointing to 600,000 acres “of highly productive farmland in production all-year round, some of the most high-value and productive in the basin.” He specifically names the Imperial Valley, Bard Valley, the land of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe and the Coachella Valley in his example.

Robert Cheng, assistant general manager of the Coachella Valley Water District, says the area — known for its unique produce items like dates, citrus, melons and specialty vegetables — could not survive without Colorado River water.

“We really depend pretty heavily on the Colorado River Basin,” he says, noting that Colorado River water makes up 75% or more of the area’s imported water annually. “And despite holding senior Colorado River water rights, we also very much understand the importance of working these issues out collaboratively.”

Feb. 14: Deadline to a Decision

Collaboration on the Colorado River Basin has been complicated, however.

The 2007 agreement governing how water is managed along the Colorado River during times of shortages expired at the end of 2025. The 2007 rules will remain in effect until the end of the 2026 water year on Sept. 30. In what is often called “the post-2026 negotiations,” the seven basin states have been attempting to come up with a replacement management plan that all parties agree on for the past two years.

Thus far, no agreement has been reached.

On Jan. 16, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released its own version of a water management plan for the Colorado River in the form of a draft environmental impact statement .

“The Department of the Interior is moving forward with this process to ensure environmental compliance is in place so operations can continue without interruption when the current guidelines expire,” Andrea Travnicek, USBR assistant secretary for water and science, said in the group’s announcement from Jan. 9. “The river and the 40 million people who depend on it cannot wait. In the face of an ongoing severe drought, inaction is not an option.”

The draft environmental impact statement examines five different strategies for managing Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two key reservoirs along the Colorado River. While USBR has not identified a preferred alternative out of the five, it has given the seven states a Feb. 14 deadline to come up with an agreement or it may select one within its jurisdiction to pursue.

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times , some of those alternatives are alarming for California and could “lead to lengthy litigation,” according to Shivaji Deshmukh, the general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Metropolitan is the country’s largest water district, serving almost 20 million people, and half of those who depend on the Colorado River for water.

Cooperation is Key

Deshmukh, who spoke at the Jan. 28 webinar, outlines the importance of the Colorado River water to his largely urban constituents. However, he also stresses the importance of partnership and collaborative efforts to reduce demand and cooperate with all water users.

“We have not pitted ourselves against flows of water in the environment or for agriculture, but rather figured out ways to partner, whether it is looking at ways to partner with the state on programs to better balance water supply throughout the state of California or very unique and agency-specific partnerships with our agricultural partners, including IID, Coachella Valley and the Quezon Tribe,” he says.

“We know that without a consensus approach to these negotiations, we could be left with some really severe cuts along the river,” he adds.

All other panelists and participants also call for cooperation and collaboration among the seven states.

“We’re really focused with working across states,” says Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency.

“We know that the future is going to be better when the seven states actually decide the path forward versus looking to the federal government or, at worst, getting mired in litigation, which really characterized so much water management over the last century in the basin,” he says.

Avocados From Mexico Expects a 'Monster Crop'

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 21:10:48 GMT

It will be a good year for guac, according to Avocados From Mexico.

On Jan. 8, the group announced it expects a record-breaking 2.5 billion pounds of Mexican avocados will be delivered to the U.S. in the 2025-26 season. Of that, it expects 280 million pounds will be available for the Super Bowl. The group is also eyeing the upcoming World Cup for aggressive avocado promotion, according to Alvaro Luque, president and CEO of AFM.

“We have a monster crop in Mexico with amazing sizing, and that gave us wings to have a very strong promotional program,” Luque tells The Packer. “This is a very important year for the U.S. because you’re going to have a lot of momentum, a lot of people gathering for sports events. And every time that they gather in front of a TV, it’s prime time for guacamole.”

Rain Makes a Monster Crop With Sizing Options

Luque explains the good rains that have hit Mexico, just like they’ve hit the Pacific Northwest and California here in the U.S. Unlike in parts of the Pacific U.S., however, the rains in Mexico have not been damaging to the crops, but just good, solid water, he says. And that has been beneficial to the avocado crops for export, which are largely rain-irrigated .

The rains are behind the forecasts for record export volumes, Luque continues.

“In the past two years, we’ve had a little less rain than what we were expecting, and when that happens, the size of the fruit is not as large as we expect,” he says. “So even though we’ve been sending to the U.S. a lot of units in the past two years, the volume has been a little bit down. This year was completely the opposite.”

According to the Hass Avocado Board’s 2024 Year in Review report, released in the summer of 2025, Mexico sent 2.31 billion pounds of avocados to the U.S. The report also noted avocado sizes were trending down, especially in Mexico and California, due in large part to older trees. Luque says the sizing in this year’s crop is turning that around.

“The past two years, especially last year, we had a lot of issues getting 48s into the market,” he says. “We thought at some point that 60s were going to become the next 48s because we were getting so many 60s. But this year we have plenty, plenty of 48s, and we know that is the industry favorite for promotion.”

He acknowledges some retailers have embraced the smaller avocados, especially in the bagged market, but says AFM projects plenty of sizes will be available for retailers’ needs.

“We’re going to be able, with this type of crop, to support the growth of the bag business,” he says. “But at the same time, we’re going to be able to promote the 48s that a lot of big retailers like the Whole Foods, the H-E-Bs, that love the larger fruit. So we have that perfect combination to support bulk and bag into one single crop.”

Promotional Plans Surrounding Sports

AFM also projects there will be record-breaking volumes of avocados available for the Super Bowl at 280 million pounds imported in the four weeks leading up to the Feb. 8 event. The “big game” is one of AFM’s “tent pole” promotional events around which it historically has launched many targeted campaigns .

“As avocado consumption in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past decade, our role has evolved beyond simply supplying fruit,” says Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution, in the group’s announcement. “We are a strategic partner to retailers, combining dependable volume with programs that help turn demand into results at shelf.”

Luque echoed this in talking with The Packer.

“We want to be sure that our clients have the confidence that we’re going to supply them with the fruit consistently throughout the year,” adding that retailers can depend on the promotional programs AFM has planned. He notes that, while historically AFM’s promotional efforts usually taper off after Cinco de Mayo, this year “it’s going to be back-to-back promotional activity from here to July.”

“This is a special year where we have a lot of fruit, and we have a World Cup,” he says, referencing the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will see soccer games held across the U.S., Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

“That’s an amazing combination to have in a record-breaking year because we’re going to be able to have a lot of fruit to support the World Cup event,” Luque says. “We envision a lot of good momentum for the category after Cinco de Mayo with this type of event.”

Water Fight With Mexico Leaves South Texas Farmer Unable to Plant Half His Acres

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:27:57 GMT

For South Texas farmers, the ongoing water dispute between the United States and Mexico isn’t an abstract policy issue. It’s a crisis that has reshaped planting decisions, reduced production and injected deep uncertainty into every growing season along the Rio Grande.

Brian Jones, a South Texas farmer, says years of shorted water deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty have forced him and many of his neighbors to dramatically scale back their operations. What once was a fully irrigated farming system has turned into a constant struggle to stretch limited water supplies across fewer acres.

“I believe it really starts to reach a crescendo in the 2023 crop year,” Jones says. “For 2024 and 2025, basically I’m only able to plant half of my farm because we don’t have enough water.”

Jones says the water shortages are not the result of drought alone, but of Mexico failing to live up to its treaty obligations. Under the 1944 agreement, Mexico is required to deliver water to the United States through the Rio Grande basin. However, U.S. officials and South Texas producers argue those deliveries have fallen well short in recent years.

“That’s exactly right,” Jones says, confirming that he has been unable to plant roughly half of his acres. “Going from fully irrigated to basically only being able to plant half the farm — and not even having full irrigation for that half — has been quite a struggle over the last couple of years.”

The reduced water supply has forced farmers to make hard decisions, prioritizing which crops and fields can survive with limited irrigation. Jones says even the acres that do get planted are often under-irrigated, increasing risk and lowering yield potential.

“Mexico has willfully held back water that they had,” Jones says. “That puts us in a huge shortfall.”

Hope on the Horizon?

Earlier this month, USDA announced it had reached an understanding with Mexico to release 202,000 acre-feet of water to the U.S., following heightened pressure from the Trump administration — including threats of tariffs if Mexico failed to comply. The announcement marked the most significant movement on the issue in years. But for growers on the ground, the news has been met with cautious optimism.

“I would say I’m both hopeful and skeptical,” Jones says. “I’m hopeful because President Trump and his administration really take the bull by the horns on this and bring the fight to Mexico.”

Jones says farmers in South Texas have long felt ignored as water shortages worsened, and he credits the current administration for taking a more aggressive stance.

“Under the previous administration, it’s like talking to a brick wall,” he says. “Under this administration, President Trump and Secretary Rollins really pick up the club and use it to bring Mexico to the table.”

Despite the agreement, Jones says trust remains an issue. Years of unmet commitments have made farmers wary of celebrating until water is actually flowing into the Rio Grande and irrigation systems.

“On the other hand, I’m still skeptical because Mexico has willfully withheld the water for a number of years,” Jones says. “Until it really starts flowing and they meet that full agreement of the 202,000 acre-feet, we’re still skeptical.”

Water Releases Reported to Start Immediately

According to Jones, Mexico indicates water releases should begin immediately, though geography and infrastructure mean the impact is not instantaneous for South Texas farmers.

“It should start this week,” he says. “It takes about three to four days for the water, once they release it in the lower parts of Mexico, to reach the Rio Grande. Hopefully by now, we start seeing that flow.”

Beyond the immediate relief, Jones says the water dispute highlights deeper concerns about fairness and competition. He believes the issue should be addressed in broader trade discussions, particularly as the U.S. reviews the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“We actually hope it is a point of contention,” Jones says. “Not only is Mexico withholding water, they’re using that water to grow products we normally grow here in South Texas and compete directly in our marketing window. That creates a trade imbalance.”

Water Issue Could Be at the Center of USCMA Review

Jones says Texas lawmakers and agricultural groups are pushing to bring the issue into USMCA negotiations, arguing water compliance should carry real consequences.

“We’re hoping to use USMCA as a tool to put some punitive measures and some teeth into the water-sharing agreement,” he says.

Planting Decisions Uncertain

As planting season approaches, uncertainty remains front and center. Jones says decisions for the 2025 crop year will hinge almost entirely on whether Mexico follows through on its promises — and how quickly water arrives.

“We’re about 45 days from corn planting here in South Texas,” he says. “I’ll definitely get all my corn in, then switch over to milo. Cotton is the big question mark.”

Cotton planting typically begins in mid-March, leaving little margin for error if water deliveries fall behind schedule.

“All the details are supposed to be out by January 31, and they’re guaranteeing all that water by the end of March,” Jones says. “By early- to mid-March, we should know where they stand on deliveries, and that will shape how I plant this upcoming year.”

For now, Jones and other South Texas farmers are watching river levels, weather forecasts and diplomatic negotiations with equal intensity — hoping that this time, the water fight turns into real relief on the ground.

Taking a Moment with the 1944 Treaty’s Minutes

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:33:10 GMT

While a trickle of information was coming out on the recently announced water deliveries from Mexico to Texas, the U.S. and Mexico finalized another water-related agreement dealing with the 1944 Treaty.

On Dec. 15, the International Boundary and Water Commission, the agency responsible for applying and overseeing the boundary and water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico, announced that both governments had signed Minute 333. The agreement seeks to address the long-running issue of Mexican sewage reaching San Diego via the Tijuana River. More on that below, but first: What is a Minute when it comes to the 1944 Treaty?

Minutes are basically amendments to, or proposals of action within, the 1944 Treaty . They are also something that make the treaty “visionary” and “one of its kind in the world,” according to Rosario Sanchez, Texas A&M AgriLife Research senior research scientist at the Texas Water Resources Institute and director of the Permanent Forum for Binational Waters.

“The built in Minutes process is basically the adaptation of the treaty over the years,” she explained earlier this year . “That’s the way the treaty has evolved, and it’s pretty unique for that.”

Keeping up with the water times

So far, the treaty has been updated or amended 333 times with the signing of this most recent Minute, and it is likely there will be more soon.

While fielding press questions about the water delivery shortfall to Texas during her Dec. 10 morning address , Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, while whole treaty might need to be renegotiated in the near future, the Minute system could prevent such a massive overhaul.

“According to all the experts, the 1944 Treaty is very favorable for Mexico,” she said. “Entering into a renegotiation process of the entire treaty might not be necessary. What does need to be done are additional agreements or Minutes, depending on the amount of water available.”

“More than renegotiating the 1944 Treaty, we need to be in constant dialogue with the United States government to address the needs of both countries, based on the rainfall cycle and how much water is actually available.”

So, what is Minute 333?

The signing of Minute 333 is not part of that dialogue as far as Texas water deliveries are concerned, but it is still part of the conversation between the U.S. and Mexico on shared water issues,” Sheinbaum added. “In this case, the Tiajuana River.

For several decades, raw sewage from Mexico has been carried by the Tiajuana River to Pacific Ocean beaches, including in San Diego. Minute 333 seeks to address this issue through a variety of means, including:

Conducting feasibility studies on adding to, expanding or repairing existing Mexican wastewater treatment facilities
Completing the building of a the new Tecolote-La Gloria Wastewater Treatment Plant by Dec. 2028
Creating new sediment management systems and finding appropriate cost-share opportunities for existing sediment and trash management projects
Creating a new account at the North American Development Bank to provide for Mexico’s ongoing operations and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure

“Thanks to the leadership of Presidents Trump and Sheinbaum, I am proud to be signing Minute 333 today,” said Chad McIntosh, U.S. Commissioner of IBWC in the group’s announcement of the agreement.

McIntosh’s Mexican counterpart, Adriana Reséndez, described the new minute as a continuation of Mexico’s commitment to “resolving the border sanitation problem at San Diego-Tijuana, pursuant to the provisions of the 1944 Water Treaty and to benefit the environment and the health of residents on both sides of the border.”

GLC Cerritos Highlights Productivity and Sustainability Success

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:22:36 GMT

Vertically integrated Mexican avocado importer GLC Cerritos has published its first sustainability report, which highlights the company’s efforts as well as establishes a standard for the future.

“We’re using this 2024 report as the benchmark, and then with our culture of continuous improvement is going to we want to improve on that each year,” says Giovanni Cavaletto, president of GLC Cerritos.

Cavaletto says many Mexican avocado growers push back on extra certifications such as Rainforest Alliance, GlobalG.A.P., etc., because of the added cost, but this sustainability report is proof that not only is being a sustainable grower achievable, it’s also something growers can be profitable with.

“We’re getting three times the national average on productivity. Mexico has been relatively static on the volume they ship into the states,” he says. “We can find ways to get 10%, 15%, 20% more avocados per acre. If we could get 20% more avocados per acre out of the existing acres, that’s then you get your increased supply without having to go out and develop additional properties. … We’re trying to show our neighbors that it can be done.”

And Cavaletto says that productivity is a highlight of the report, which the company’s director of sustainability, Armando Garcia, pulled together.

“Part of sustainability is to get more to get more avocados per unit of input, whether that unit of input is ground or water, fertilizer or labor,” he says. “In order to be successful in the business, one has to be very meticulous.”

Cavaletto says the Medina family, which owns GLC Cerritos, has focused on sustainability for more than 10 years. First, in 2013, when the Mexican government surveyed avocado growers on best practices, then with a GlobalG.A.P. certification in 2014, followed by the Rainforest Alliance certification in 2017 and fair trade certification in 2024, as well as organic certifications.

He says the Medina family is “doing 21st-century avocado farming” with the use of drip irrigation, a network of weather stations to fine-tune irrigation timing and soil-moisture sensors to best deploy water when it’s needed. Cavaletto says the report shows that GLC Cerritos’ efforts help the company use much less than the industry average.

“Not only do we get that greater productivity per acre, but the fruit size is also significantly larger than the industry average,” he says. “If you look at the percentage of 40s and larger, or 10-ounce fruit or larger, in the industry for avocados from Mexico, it’s been getting smaller for the last 10 years as the trees have aged.” One thing that we’re particularly proud of is having a unique presence in that larger fruit market, especially early.”

Another focus of the report is GLC Cerritos’ overall carbon footprint, which Cavaletto says the company will track from farming to packing to transportation to market.

GlobalG.A.P. certification is another way that GLC Cerritos sets itself apart from other Mexican avocado growers, Cavaletto says.

“Less than 2% of Mexican avocado farms are certified with GlobalG.A.P.,” he says, as some Jalisco growers stopped renewing certifications because the growers import into the U.S. where it isn’t required. “That’s one thing that we really think that helps to distinguish us within today’s competitive landscape.”

Cavaletto says another part of sustainability is social responsibility. He points to how GLC Cerritos recently enrolled farms and packing facility with the Ethical Charter Implementation Program. ECIP provides tools for growers to promote transparency, align with ethical standards and track progress without additional audits.

“To my knowledge, we’re the only Mexican avocado company that’s enrolled in that,” he says.

GLC Cerritos recently worked with Guardian Forest, which is a satellite imagery platform, to ensure that the orchards the company sources its avocados from have not been deforested.

“If a farmer wants us to sell his fruit to us, we can plug in their coordinates to the platform and it will tell us whether it’s been deforested in the last so many years,” Cavaletto says. “We’ve chosen not to purchase fruit from orchards this year because they didn’t comply with the norms that we’ve set for ourselves.”

As for the future of sustainability at GLC Cerritos, Cavaletto says the company will continue to track its carbon footprint, productivity per acre and water use.

“On the fair trade, we’ve grown at least 50% this year,” he says. “We’re not done yet is. We did a promotional campaign trying to communicate to the to the buyers that might be hesitant to add a fair-trade premium on top of the cost of the carton of avocados. To say, ‘You’re really only adding about 2 cents or less for the cost of the avocados on your shelf, and that can really give your consumers the confidence that you’re going out and trying to make sure that everybody in the supply chain is taken care of.”

Details Unclear on Promised Water Deliveries From Mexico

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 20:22:58 GMT

Texas will supposedly get up to 202,000 acre-feet of water from Mexico in accordance with the 1944 Treaty beginning this week, the week of Dec. 15, according to the USDA.

However, it is unclear where this water will come from because Mexico doesn’t have that volume of water in its international holdings. Depending upon source, it is also unclear how useful this release will be to Texas agriculture.

“They don’t have a whole lot of the international storage and international reservoirs,” says Sonny Hinojosa, current water advocate and former general manager at the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2 in San Juan, Texas. He does note Mexico has some water in its internal reservoirs, however.

During her daily morning address on Dec. 15, Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, told the press “we are not giving away water that we don’t have or that would affect the Mexican people.”

Backstory to the 202,000-acre-feet announcement

USDA’s Dec. 12^th announcement was the main outcome of a series of meetings between the U.S. and Mexico that was kicked off on the afternoon of Dec. 8, when President Donald Trump demanded Mexico release 200,000 acre-feet of water by Dec. 31 on threat of an additional 5% tariff in a Truth Social post.

“Mexico continues to violate our comprehensive Water Treaty, and this violation is seriously hurting our beautiful Texas crops and livestock,” he wrote.

President Donald Trump’s Dec. 8 Truth Social post.

(Screen capture)

This is a reference to Mexico’s failure to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to Texas via the Rio Grande by the end of the most recent five-year cycle, which ended on Oct. 24. According to the 1944 treaty, when Mexico fails to deliver the full amount within the five-year cycle, the remainder is carried over into the next cycle as debt. Water debt must be paid in addition to the current cycle’s volume.

USDA’s Dec. 12^th announcement included that there are ongoing negotiations between the countries to finalize a plan by the end of January 2026 for Mexico to repay its outstanding water debt of roughly 800,000 acre-feet.

Appreciation from Texas

The announcement was widely welcomed by Texas agricultural groups.

“I applaud President Trump for putting American farmers first and holding Mexico’s feet to the fire to get this treaty honored,” said Texas’ Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in an announcement on Dec. 14.

“For years, producers in the Rio Grande Basin have been shorted the water they are legally owed, causing the loss of crops, jobs, industries, and livelihoods,” he added. “Let me be clear: Texas farmers expect Mexico to fully meet its obligations — not just today, but for years to come. Water is the lifeblood of agriculture.”

In a letter to the editor sent out midday Dec. 15, various Texas produce and row crop groups expressed gratitude to the Trump administration, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. But the co-signed groups and their leaders also urged quick implementation and consequences for inaction.

“While Mexico did deliver some water this year, thanks to pressure by the Trump administration, it was not enough to cover the debt,” wrote Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association.

“This new understanding must be quickly implemented. The U.S. must not allow Mexico to delay fulfilling its obligations, or it risks Mexico overusing water resources that should be shared. A tactic taken by Mexico for years without penalty or accountability,” Galeazzi continued.

Dale Murden, president of Texas Citrus Mutual, similarly applauded the move, but urged the administration to push Mexico to “honor this new agreement or face consequences.”

“The short- and long-term impacts on Texas farmers are beyond the data on paper,” Murden wrote. “Livelihoods have been uprooted, and the region’s agricultural landscape may never be the same again. Meanwhile, Mexico continues to expand its agricultural production that directly competes with U.S. producers … with water that should have been delivered to the U.S.”

Where will that water come from?

The co-signed groups and Hinojosa, who helped provide data for the meetings held between the U.S. and Mexico, all noted details from USDA on this new water transfer are currently unknown. What is known is that Mexico doesn’t have 202,000 acre-feet of water in the international dams.

According to public records (based on Nov. 29 conditions, most recent) from the International Boundary and Water Commission, the U.S. side of the group that adjudicates the water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico, Mexico’s water ownership at the Amistad and Falcon dams amounts to just under 166,000 acre-feet.

The Rio Grande reservoirs and tributaries in Mexico. From pg. 4 of Assistant Rio Grande Watermaster Jose A. Davila’s 2023 presentation for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

(Image and presentation from the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission)

Sheinbaum told reporters Dec. 15 that Mexico “examined different river basins to determine how we could meet the United States’ request.”

Hinojosa reports hearing that the near-term repayment could include water from the Rio San Juan, which fits with Sheinbaum’s description. However, the Rio San Juan is not one of the original six Rio Grande tributaries covered by the 1944 treaty. It is also a problematic source, according to Hinojosa.

“We can’t capture or store that water,” he said. This means that such water would be of little use to farmers, but could be used for municipal purposes. “We’ve utilized it in the past, but [Mexico has] restrictions as far as what they can release.”

Those restrictions mean that the full 202,000 acre-feet could not come from that source alone, and certainly not by the end of December. Regardless, the agreement could be too little, too late for Texas growers who have already suffered tremendous losses, Hinojosa said.

“Once again, our spring crops are planted in late February, and I know our farmers; they’re not going to go on a limb and invest unless they know that we have the water,” he said. “So we might be looking at a fourth year of limited row crops. Now, if this continues and we get that 202,000 acre-feet, maybe it’ll help our vegetable farmers come next September or October, but we’ll be facing a fourth year of shortage.”

Mexico’s perspective

The U.S. and Mexico do not agree on the why behind the short water deliveries. While stakeholders on the U.S. side have pointed to growth of Mexico’s, especially Chihuahua’s, irrigated agriculture in recent years, Mexico has given a variety of reasons for not delivering sufficient water in a timely way.

During her Dec. 9 press meeting , Sheinbaum summarized the reasons why Mexico had not delivered more water in the past cycle as two-fold; Mexico’s own water needs and the limiting factor of the pipeline that carries water to the Rio Grande. However, she said the governors of the Mexican states, including Chihuahua, are united “to find the best agreement with the United States.”

On Dec. 15^th, she answered questions specifically about the details of the meetings, saying: “[the U.S.] requested that a certain amount of water be delivered by December, and we said that this was not possible, not only because it’s physically impossible, but also because it would have consequences if done in such a short time. So, an agreement was reached to deliver it over a longer period.”

She also cited drought and lack of rain in Mexico.

“So, an agreement was reached in this regard,” she said. “The agreement is typically for a five-year period, but now we will determine, based on the amount of rainfall during the rainy season, how to make up for the water that wasn’t delivered in the previous five years due to the drought.”

Sheinbaum also brought up the possibility that the 1944 Treaty, which she noted is very favorable to Mexico, might need to be renegotiated.

“Various experts say that Mexico may no longer be able to comply with this treaty, since the exceptional drought provision has been invoked in the last three cycles,” she said on Dec. 10. “It seems that the drought situation, or the lack of water to comply with the treaty, is no longer an exceptional one, but rather a reality.”

Why Western Mexico Remains Essential for Winter Produce in the U.S.

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:30:17 GMT

While the U.S. is a powerhouse of produce production, it still takes the power of imports to keep U.S. consumers supplied with fresh fruit and vegetables year-round.

Mexico is a key player in that supply chain. Much of its production, especially what is needed to supply the U.S. during the winter, comes from the country’s western states. These include everything from border states like Baja California and Sonora down to Jalisco and Michoacán in the southern end of the country.

“Western Mexico benefits from mild, stable winter weather, which allows growers to produce vegetables during the same months when U.S. and Canadian domestic production drops off,” explains Clarisa Batiz, senior vegetable category manager at Divine Flavor.

“That seasonal complement makes the region a critical piece of the year-round supply chain,” she adds. “When northern production slows during the winter, western Mexico steps in to supply peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and other key commodities, ensuring U.S. retailers can keep shelves stocked consistently.”

Luis Obregon, president of Nogales, Ariz.-based produce sourcing and distribution company IPR Fresh, adds that the “experienced grower base and strong infrastructure make it one of the most dependable winter vegetable regions in North America.” He calls western Mexico key to his company’s ability to supply a wide variety of vegetables, but especially bell peppers and European cucumbers, to U.S. consumers year-round.

“Its proximity to the U.S. is a major advantage; shorter transit times mean fresher product and more reliable arrivals,” Obregon says.

Challenges and Opportunities: Water, Labor and Climate

Mexico’s proximity to the U.S. also means it has been experiencing some of the same challenges that also trouble U.S. produce growers in western states: water and labor shortages.

“The available labor pool is shrinking each year, and the cost of labor continues to rise sharply. Recruiting and retaining farm labor has become increasingly difficult,” Batiz reports.

The water scarcity in some western Mexican states is also getting extreme, she adds.

“Regions like Sonora and Sinaloa have seen significant water stress,” Batiz says. “Some reservoirs are reportedly operating at only 20% to 30% capacity, forcing growers to reduce planted hectares and rethink irrigation strategies.”

While the more northwestern Mexican states have been having chronic issues with too little water, some of the more southwestern states have had the opposite experience this year. For example, the 2025 Pacific hurricane season was more active than usual, bringing more rain to some parts of western Mexico during summer and fall.

The added rain has benefited Mexico’s key avocados-for-export region, says Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution at Avocados From Mexico. She reports that the current supply of avocados for export to the U.S. is not only abundant, but trending toward larger sizes. This is in contrast to the generally shrinking avocado sizes seen industrywide .

“When there’s a lot of good water supply, the trees can size up the fruit,” she explains. “This year we’ve had some really good climate that’s enabled the trees to size up on fruit, and it’s nice large sizes; very promotable sizes.”

While the added rain is helping avocado growers this year, Obregon cites ongoing climate variability, along with labor tightness in Mexico and the strong peso, as putting pressure on western Mexico growers and importers of their produce.

“In addition, ongoing efforts by certain U.S. groups to limit imports, along with the uncertainty surrounding potential tariffs, continue to create instability,” he says.

“Production out of Sonora and Sinaloa is coming along well, with healthy plants and good quality across peppers, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers,” says Clarisa Batiz, senior vegetable category manager at Divine Flavor.

(Photo courtesy of Divine Flavor)

Continued Work on Tech, Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Both Obregon and Batiz say the challenges the region faces will continue into the future and will demand growers adapt and make ongoing efficiency improvements. This is something Obregon says is already underway.

“Growers in western Mexico continue to improve through more efficient drip irrigation, expanded protected agriculture and better postharvest cooling practices,” he says. “At IPR Fresh, we’re focused on strengthening cold-chain performance and partnering with growers who invest in technology and sustainability. Looking ahead, we expect continued progress in precision agriculture, resource efficiency and protected growing systems.”

Batiz says that Divine Flavor expects “continued progress in greater energy efficiency, smarter water use and deeper integration of social responsibility throughout our operations.”

She says operating at a large scale, yet keeping consistent sustainability practices across all growers, is one of Divine Flavor’s strengths, with reducing its overall carbon footprint throughout the supply chain being a central focus. Taking care of its people is another.

“We put a lot of effort into responsible recruitment practices, safe working conditions and programs that support workers’ well-being. For us, retaining our workforce and having employees who want to return season after season is one of the most meaningful indicators that we’re on the right path,” she says. “These elements will be essential for building a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future.”

Western Mexico Makes Football Guac Possible

When it comes to essentials, western Mexico — particularly Michoacán, all but makes winter avocados in the U.S. possible.

“Michoacán represents about 90% of the exports that come to the U.S.” Bazan says.

In 2023, almost 92% of the fresh avocados available in the U.S. were imported, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. The majority of those imports come from Mexico to the point that Bazan describes imports from Mexico as dominating the U.S. avocado market. That is especially true during what she calls the fall/winter ramp-up to football season in the U.S., culminating in the Super Bowl.

“When the Super Bowl comes around, we’re looking at a minimum 250-million-pound opportunity,” she explains. “This is pretty much our superstar time period of the year.”

Bazan adds that a typical Super Bowl week will see roughly 32% more avocados delivered than a normal average week. She puts that into perspective as a truck full of avocados leaving Mexico every six minutes in the lead-up to the Super Bowl to keep up with U.S. demand.

“And Michoacán is the only state that can provide the avocados that meet the demand for the fruit here in the United States,” she says.

“Because October, November and December is so critical in the U.S. because of the consumption that happens in this time period, primarily as we get into college football season and the huge association between guacamole and football, it is critical [to have an] abundant supply,” Bazan explains.

Fortunately, it looks like that will happen this year.

“This year is looking like it could be a record year for us,” Bazan says. “We’ve had some strong weeks in terms of harvest and supply, and the market is very promotable right now.”

State of Winter Crops

Bazan isn’t the only one expecting good things out of western Mexico during this winter season. Batiz reports that crop conditions look strong and that Divine Flavor is expecting a solid season for both volume and quality.

“Production out of Sonora and Sinaloa is coming along well, with healthy plants and good quality across peppers, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers,” she says.

While the 2024-2025 period was difficult for many farmers due to extremely low market prices, Divine Flavor is focused on ensuring it covers its program business securely and avoids overproduction, Batiz says. The company is reducing speculative planting and aiming for a more targeted, disciplined approach to match supply more precisely with demand.

Obregon similarly reports a solid start to the season with good quality and yields on IPR Fresh’ bell peppers and European cucumbers.

“With our year-round program firmly in place, we expect steady and dependable volumes for the U.S. market throughout the winter and beyond, assuming weather conditions remain cooperative,” he says.

Texas Faces Growing Pressure as Mexico Paid Only Half of Water Owed

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:41:08 GMT

Mexico’s water payday to Texas came and went Oct. 24. Once the full data came out a few weeks later, it was clear Mexico had only paid half the water it owed.

While this was not a surprise , it was still disappointing, according to sources.

“We’re just wrapping up a third year of water shortage,” says Sonny Hinojosa, current water advocate and former general manager at the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2 in San Juan, Texas. “So, we’re going to start a fourth year of having insufficient water for ag. We got half the water we need, so we’re going to be crippled again for fourth year.”

According to the 1944 treaty that governs water sharing between the U.S. and Mexico on the Rio Grande, Mexico must deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water annually, equating to 1.75 million acre-feet every five-year cycle. For this most recent five-year cycle, Mexico had only delivered 884,864 acre-feet, 50.5% of the total.

Texas Farm Bureau State Director Brian Jones called the situation infuriating in a statement issued on the last day of the previous cycle.

“Another missed water delivery deadline by Mexico is another serious blow to Rio Grande Valley farmers and communities,” he said. “Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley have done about as much as they can to hang on until Mexico delivers the water it owes, including reducing the number of acres planted and switching to dryland crops that require less water.”

He pointed to Texas’ recent loss of its sugar cane industry as an example. He also spoke from his own experience, saying he can’t irrigate a third of his operation — cotton, corn, grain sorghum and soybeans in Hidalgo County — even once with the water available to him.

“It’s getting harder and harder to hang on,” he said. “How can someone sustain more than half of their farm sitting unproductive? You can’t.”

Accolades for April’s Meeting

Despite the recent focus on five-year cycles, agricultural water needs to operate on a seasonal-to-annual cycle. The 1944 treaty also says the deliveries should be annual.

When looking at Mexico’s water deliveries on an annual scale, it did really well in this past year (Oct. 25, 2024, through Oct. 24, 2025), delivering roughly 475,000 acre-feet. Most of that delivery — about 360,000 acre-feet — happened since late April, following a meeting between the U.S. State Department and the Mexican government.

Hinojosa says he is very glad of the State Department’s efforts in the situation.

“Had it not been for that meeting and pressure being put on Mexico, we probably wouldn’t have got this much water from them,” he says.

A chart showing the most recent five-year cycle’s deliveries (black line) compared to other past cycles’ deliveries from Mexico to the U.S. “Had it not been for that [late April] meeting, that black line would have just continued straight across, and this would have been a historical low,” said Sonny Hinojosa, current water advocate and former general manager at the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2 in San Juan, Texas.

(Chart from the International Boundary and Water Commission; retrieved Nov. 3)

According to Hinojosa, Texas agriculture needs about 1 million acre-feet of water per year. Based on the most recent data, the state has about 900,000 acre-feet of water in storage, including from what Mexico sent this year.

“But after you subtract the reserves and such, agriculture is just left with a little over 500,000 acre-feet,” Hinojosa says. Still, the steady flow of water from Mexico this year was helpful to agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley, he adds.

“The sad part about it is, it was in the summertime,” a time when the most water losses occur, he explains. “But nonetheless, we needed the water for our vegetable growers.”

This water year in the cycle is a bit of a bittersweet situation.

“We still don’t have sufficient water, but we have more water than we have had the last couple of years,” Hinojosa says.

Still, the 2020-2025 cycle came in as the third-lowest delivery cycle in the past 10. Only the 1992-1997 cycle (when about 41% was delivered) and the 1997-2002 cycle (about 33% delivered) were lower.

Inner Workings of Water Debt

Mexico now finds itself in water debt. Again.

When Mexico doesn’t make its full 1.75 million acre-feet of water deliveries in a five-year cycle, it goes into debt that it must repay in the subsequent five-year cycle. This repayment comes in addition to the water it owes during that cycle.

“So, everything must be repaid within a 10-year period,” Hinojosa explains, adding that the treaty doesn’t allow for the debt to be carried into a third five-year cycle, though that did happen following the 1992-1997 cycle. Mexico has fallen into a habit of waiting and gambling for “a tropical system to pay this water for them,” he adds.

“A cycle ends when the United States conservation capacity is filled at both reservoirs,” he explains. “So, if there was some kind of storm that filled our capacity at 3.3 million acre-feet, then a cycle ends, all debts are considered paid, and a new cycle begins.”

This weather-dependent mindset needs to change, Hinojosa says.

What Now?

Even with the comparatively good 2024-25 year of water deliveries from Mexico, Jones characterized the situation for Texas as a dire one.

“The 2026 spring planting season here begins in February, and agriculture has only 50% of the water it needs,” he said in his statement. “Something must be done and done now, or we risk losing an entire industry.”

Hinojosa says the U.S. needs more leverage to enforce the annual water deliveries from Mexico the 1944 treaty requires. He and many others have said working treaty enforcement into the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a potential way to prevent these situations in the future.

The trade connection isn’t new. Hinojosa notes the short water deliveries from Mexico started after the North American Free Trade Association was executed in 1994.

“With the passage of NAFTA — that started out with waiving the tariffs on about 50% of the goods from Mexico, then 10 years later eliminated the tariffs completely — that just gave Mexico free rein to increase their irrigated agriculture with the water that used to flow into the Rio Grande,” he says. “That really hurt us.”

Texas Leaders Urge Rio Grande Valley Residents to Act on Water

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 19:26:12 GMT

There are 14 days left in the current five-year water cycle between the U.S. and Mexico. According to the 1944 water treaty, Mexico must deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande River to Texas.

It almost certainly won’t make the total. As of Oct. 4 (most recent complete data), Mexico has only delivered 811,348 acre-feet.

“Currently, under the 1944 water treaty, there are no consequences to the Mexican government if they fail to deliver the water to us,” U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) said Oct. 10 at a press event hosted by Texas International Produce Association.

De La Cruz and the event’s other speakers stressed the need to give the 1944 treaty teeth by including water delivery enforcement mechanisms into the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement , which is up for renegotiation next year. To this end, all the speakers called for action.

“We need the public to step in and make comments on the U.S. Trade Representative’s website to urge them to put [the 1944 water treaty] into the USMCA agreement,” De La Cruz said.

Anyone interested can submit via the USTR’s comment portal , docket No. USTR-2025-0004. More detail below on specifics.

Comments can be submitted no later than Oct. 30, 2025.

The impact of late and lacking water deliveries

All speakers stressed the negative impacts of the late, lacking and sometimes non-existent deliveries of water from Mexico on Texas.

“Who suffers?” De La Cruz asked. “Not the Mexican farmers. Our farmers. Our fellow community members right here in the Rio Grande Valley.”

She referenced the loss of Texas’ sugar mill as an example of that suffering and cited negative impacts on Texas ranchers and row crop farmers. Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of TIPA, quantified the impact for produce.

“This last year, our farmers put 30% less fruit and vegetables into the ground, not because they wanted to but because they were forced to,” he said.

This reduction, he said, was the result of tough decisions in the face of years of unpredictable, insufficient water deliveries. He added that Rio Grande-area growers are no longer able to grow water-intensive crops or crops that need specific watering intervals like broccoli or cauliflower or celery now due to the water situation with Mexico.

“Our farmers are not able to do the diverse mix that they usually can,” he said. “That creates all kinds of problems. The biggest problem is, when you have all these farmers planting the same two or three crops and that market goes down, the entire region goes down too.”

But it isn’t ag alone who suffers, according to Daniel Rivera, executive director of the Elsa Economic Development Corporation. Speaking from his experience in the ranching-heavy rural Hidalgo County town of Elsa, he said the impact of the lack of Mexico’s water deliveries ripples out into his community and beyond into Texas’ economy.

“Water drives production, labor and infrastructure; the very sectors that USMCA was designed to strengthen,” he said. “If we tie the 1944 water treaty to the USMCA, we create a system that assures predictability and accountability because, without reliable water, our region’s economic engine fails.”

Submitting USMCA Comments

Though De La Cruz said she didn’t know what water delivery enforcement mechanisms might look like if included in USMCA, she stressed the importance of making such mechanisms available.

“Please, submit your comments asking for the 1944 water treaty to be included into the USMCA agreement,” she said. “This is the time when the Rio Grande Valley can step up into the national light and really highlight the need for this treaty to be in the USMCA agreement.”

TIPA made some logistical recommendations for those in Texas agriculture who decide to submit comments, including:

In the “Chapters” prompt, select any that apply to your situation, but also or at least select 2, 3, 10, 24, and 31
If you are directly involved in Texas agriculture, include details such as number of acres, what you grow or raise on your operation, years in operation and number of employees you hire in your comments

Galeazzi described submitting comments as being a small time investment that could have big, beneficial impacts for the Rio Grande Valley.

“It will take 5 minutes out of your day, but if all 1.5 million citizens of the Rio Grande Valley were to take those 5 minutes, it would send a clear message to all three countries just how important this is, just how much we depend on the Rio Grande River,” he said.

“Please — citizens of the Rio Grande Valley and further afield — take the time,” he said. “Make the comments. Help save our region, save our way of life, and save our path forward.”

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Avocados From Mexico Pledges $30,000 for Cancer Screenings

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 13:31:33 GMT

As a new twist on their usual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month packaging promotion, Avocados From Mexico is putting money toward helping consumers get mammograms.

For the past four years, Avocados From Mexico has partnered with non-profit breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen to turn “produce aisles pink” in October to help drive awareness of the endemic disease. This year, under the co-branded “Don’t Just Check These: Check Yours” campaign, the partnership includes material help to consumers to actually get themselves checked.

“We’re pledging $30,000 on a national level to help women cover their cost of breast cancer screening,” explained Stephanie Bazan, AFM’s senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution, at a promotion preview event held in early September.

“This is something a little bit different that we’re doing this year, but it’s also really living up to the good cause claim that we’re making on our packaging and all of the materials that we’re promoting around our Susan G. Komen program.”

Consumers will be able to scan the QR codes on the promotional pink bags and be taken to AFM’s online mammography grant application . Through a partnership with Radiology Assist, the company is pledging up to $100 per patient, for a maximum of 300 applicants, to help cover the cost of a mammogram.

While most health insurances cover mammograms as a preventative health measure, if someone has to pay out of pocket, cost can be a barrier to access. Health care prices vary wildly based on location, but healthcare price tracker company GoodRx says the national average for the out-of-pocket cost for a basic 2D mammogram is $400. For a 3D mammogram, which can provide better information, the national average cost is $658.

“Everybody knows someone with either breast cancer in their family, friends, colleagues, etc.,” Bazan said. “It is one of the most common cancers among women in the U.S. So we continue to lean in on that given the importance of the female audience.”

Pink partnership packaging details

The QR code that takes consumers to the mammography grant application form is part of its promotional pink bags this year.

“Our pink bags are meant to bring attention to the cause by standing out in the produce aisle. Our ‘Don’t Just Check These: Check Yours’ is all about awareness and encouraging people to take time out of their busy days to learn about such an important issue,” Bazan said.

The partnership bags will be available to all retailers in the U.S. At the preview event, Bazan pointed out the campaign concept will be on the front, and the back will include a pink grapefruit guacamole recipe.

This year’s partnership also involves AFM donating $100,000 to Susan G. Komen.

“We’re incredibly proud to once again be partnering with Susan G. Komen to support the inspirational work they do, as well as help avocado lovers everywhere stay healthy for years to come.”

Mexican Avocado Industry Commits to Go Deforestation-Free

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 20:57:37 GMT

Mexico’s avocado industry is the country’s first agricultural sector to sign onto the Mexican government’s effort to rid its exports of deforestation.

On Aug. 27, the Association of Avocado Exporting Producers and Packers of Mexico (APEAM) signed a conservation agreement with the Mexican federal government and the Mexican Departments of Agriculture and Environment. Among other things, the agreement commits the Mexican avocado industry’s exports to be deforestation-free by 2030.

“It’s an honor for Mexican Avocados to lead the nation in this conservation agreement. Our industry is spearheading Mexico’s zero-deforestation goals thanks to our network of over 35,000 growers and more than 90 packers, who consistently work to conserve the Avocado Landscape for future generations,” Ramon Paz-Vega, strategic consultant for the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association, said in a news release.

“We’re grateful for the government’s partnership in this effort — especially as we make progress under our Path to Sustainability , which expands our commitment to protecting Mexico’s forests, water, biodiversity and more,” he added.

Making of the Agreement

In late January, the Mexican government announced its plans to create a program to ensure agricultural exports “respect labor rights, occupational health and safety, are free from deforestation, and responsibly use natural resources” (translated via Google Translate). It identified the avocado production chain as the first industry to undertake the plan since avocados are a key export commodity, and one heavily implicated in deforestation.

According to Mexico’s secretary of environment and natural resources, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, avocado orchard expansion resulted in roughly 49,400 acres of deforestation between 2018 and 2024, an important date range for the agreement. She described avocado orchards’ “uncontrolled expansion” as having serious negative impacts on ecosystems.

Under the new agreement, a deforestation-free certification process will be required to export avocados beginning in January 2026. According to information from the Avocado Institute of Mexico, avocados from orchards planted on lands deforested in 2025 or beyond will not be eligible for export.

Owners of orchards planted on lands deforested between 2018–2024 will have to take a number of compensatory steps under Mexican environmental law before their produce can qualify for certification for export.

“Examples might include support of approved conservation initiatives or financial plans that help fuel ecological developments, among other options to advance this net-zero goal for Mexico’s Avocado Landscape and agricultural sector at large,” says the Avocado Institute of Mexico. It adds that the 2018 start date on the range was specified by the agreement.

“Selecting 2018 signals a commitment to complying with rigorous standards, setting accurate benchmarks and measuring true progress,” the institute adds.

Looking Forward to Deforestation-Free

According to Hass Avocado Board Director of Industry Affairs John McGuigan, most avocado groves in Mexico were planted during the 1970s and 1980s . The Avocado Institute of Mexico says that most of these older groves were planted on land that was already in agricultural use, meaning they are not implicated in deforestation at all.

Indeed, the institute estimates that at least 85% of Mexico’s more than 54,000 orchards are expected to qualify in the first year of the certification process.

According to the Mexican government’s January announcement, the agreement aims to “strengthen the country’s position in international markets, making it a global leader in the sustainable and fair production” of agricultural exports like avocados.

“We are convinced that these measures will strengthen the competitiveness and positioning of Mexican avocados in global markets,” says Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, chief of staff to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and previous governor of Michoacán, the heart of Mexico’s avocado industry. “We trust that the private sector will join this great initiative convened by the president for the benefit of the Mexican people.”

Enrique Audifred, vice president of sustainability for APEAM, says in the recent announcement of the agreement’s signing that the avocado industry appreciates collaboration with the Mexican federal government.

“This conservation agreement reflects our shared goal to restore and preserve Mexico’s forests in action,” he adds. “Our industry will continue to build a resilient and sustainable future for the Avocado Landscape of Mexico, delivering results that go far beyond this agreement.”

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USMCA Could Give U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty Teeth

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 19:36:32 GMT

There is less than two months left for Mexico to deliver roughly a million acre-feet of water to Texas, as required by a 1944 treaty with the U.S. Since it looks like Mexico won’t deliver on that obligation — as it has struggled or failed to do increasingly in recent decades — attentions now turn to how to prevent this pattern from repeating yet again.

“The problem is that the 1944 treaty has no teeth — there’s no enforcement mechanism,” explains Sonny Hinojosa, current water advocate and former general manager at the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2.

“We need something that will put pressure on Mexico,” he adds, “because we cannot force Mexico to release water.”

That “something” could be the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement, which is due for renewal and possible renegotiation next year.

The USMCA took effect in July 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement, which had governed trade between the U.S., Mexico and Canada since 1994. According to the agreement, it must be reviewed by all three countries every six years.

The first review period is set to begin in July of 2026. However, the review could begin as early as September following long-running tariff disputes between the U.S. and its closest trade partners .

Tying water treaties to trade agreements

Mexico’s lack of full or regular water deliveries to Texas have already had damaging impacts on Texas agriculture. The state’s disappearing sugar industry , and produce growers who have had to cut acreage and sell off equipment are key examples of the impact of Mexico’s water deliveries being short or irregularly timed.

“The treaty specifically states it’s got to be an annual delivery of 350,000 acre feet,” explains Hinojosa.

The treaty does include flexibility on deliveries in the case of extraordinary drought, in which case, Mexico must deliver 1.75 million acre feet of water within a five-year cycle. Hinojosa stressed that this doesn’t mean Mexico can go four years of no or minimal deliveries, waiting on a big storm in the fifth year to make deliveries.

“It doesn’t work that way, so we need that mindset to change,” he says.

Part of that mindset change could be working enforcement of the 1944 treaty into USMCA during its upcoming review.

Hinojosa points to the signing of NAFTA as when Mexico’s water delivery problems got started. The improved trade environment, coupled with the country’s ability to store water along the Rio Grande’s six major tributaries, gave Mexican growers the ability and incentive to keep water that should have been delivered to the U.S. to grow produce for trade, he explains.

“They have over a million acre-feet in those six tributaries,” he says. “If they’re not going to give us our water, then implement something, some kind of penalty through the USMCA,” he continues. “If you’re not going to give us our water, we’ll then cut back the trade. Or we impose tariffs, embargoes, whatever it takes, but we need some leverage.”

Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, believes getting leverage to enforce the 1944 treaty “has to happen alongside the USMCA renegotiations” because the water issue between the U.S. and Mexico impacts all three countries.

“The lack of water impacts both U.S. and Mexico, so it only makes sense to tie the treaty to USMCA because the water that comes from the treaty is going to impact the economics of the international trade between us, Mexico and, yes, Canada,” he says. “What we are growing in both U.S. and Mexico is feeding Canadians and goes to Canada, so it’s part of the economics up there as well.”

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Remember the Sugar Mill: Water Shortfall Looms Over Texas Ag

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:06:02 GMT

In February 2024, the board of directors of Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers Inc. announced Texas’ last sugar mill would close. That sugar cane harvest and milling season was to be the Santa Rosa mill’s last.

Why? Mexico had starved the area for irrigation water.

“For over 30 years, farmers in South Texas have been battling with Mexico’s failure to comply with the provisions of the 1944 Water Treaty between the U.S. and Mexico that governs water sharing between the two nations on the Colorado River and the Lower Rio Grande,” the board wrote in its Feb. 22, 2024, announcement .

“We regret the impact our closure will have on communities across the Valley, especially those closest to the mill, La Villa, Santa Rosa, and Edcouch,” it added. The board described the mill as supporting up to 100 local sugar cane growers and employing “over 500 full-time and seasonal workers annually.”

There are two months remaining in the current five-year water cycle in the 1944 treaty, and Mexico hasn’t delivered even half of the water it owes. While it will likely send some additional water this cycle, it probably won’t make up the total.

The lack of full water deliveries will hit growers in the area hard, according to experts. But the lack of water will also hit the industries that support agriculture — and the people who work in those industries or supply them.

In one way or another, experts advise to remember the sugar mill.

Short- and Long-Term Impact on Growers

As produce growers in the Rio Grande Valley look to the prospect of a fourth year of water shortages in 2026, Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, says they will have to make some tough decisions soon.

“They’ve got to decide ‘what am I going to plant?’” he says. “We are sitting just barely better than we were last year at the same time. Not a whole lot better; we still don’t have the water we need to put in a full crop.”

The more distant future is more concerning, however.

“The longer term is perhaps an even more bleak picture for our farmers, unfortunately,” Galeazzi says. He points to the lessons of COVID when it came to big disruptions on supply chains and how markets don’t just magically rematerialize when the stressor goes away.

“If our industry is on average producing 30% less, that means someone else’s region picked up 30% more business. So, when we do get water — and we will have a hurricane and we will get water down here — we will have to fight tooth and nail to get any additional business we can. That really, in my opinion, is the big concern.”

But with growers being water-stressed for so long, that usually also means being profit-stressed.

“Folks down here aren’t all going to have the money to go out and reestablish market share, so that means they’re going to have an uphill battle trying to reclaim that space in the marketplace,” he says.

Impacting the Ecosystem of Agricultural Production

That dynamic applies to more than just growers, however.

“Everyone that goes into the ecosystem of agricultural production are all impacted by this,” Galeazzi says. This can be anyone from seed and chemical companies to the companies that make the boxes, pallets, and packaging for produce. He gave the example of trucking companies: “If they don’t have people to truck for, they’re out of business.”

Similarly, he highlighted the massive infrastructure that goes into making the H-2A program function smoothly — workman’s comp, staffing agencies, buses, housing — as an example of what can be lost.

Lucas Gregory, associate director and chief science officer of the Texas Water Resources Institute, explains the interconnected dynamic in the context of the sugar mill.

“If you have an irrigated operation, like a citrus grove or sugar cane, that has to have water, and if that water is not there, that’s it,” he says. “That’s what happened to sugar cane industry. There was not enough volume that could be guaranteed to keep the mill viable. So, the mill closed, and now with no mill, no sugar cane.”

A recent review by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service attempted to quantify what the impact of the lack of water deliveries from Mexico on citrus and vegetables in the area. The review estimates the region would lose $358.6 million annually and 6,079 total jobs lacking irrigation water.

“It’s a domino effect that’s felt within the community,” Galeazzi says. “In the four counties that make up the [Rio Grande Valley], something like 56% of the population lives outside municipal limits. That’s a lot of people who are going to be tied into agriculture in the rural community. Those are the guys who are going to get hit on top of the farmers.”

Impact on Irrigation Districts and Beyond

The effect of low water deliveries from Mexico is also real for irrigation districts.

Sonny Hinojosa, current water advocate and former general manager at the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2 in San Juan, Texas, explains that irrigation districts in the state have two sources of revenue: the water delivery charge and a flat rate assessment. But both come down to delivering water.

“So, if we don’t have the water, we’re not generating revenue, and you have to start laying people off, and we don’t have money for improvements or maintenance,” he says.

That is the situation playing out in Delta Lake Irrigation District in Edcouch, Texas.

“That’s a big majority of my revenue to keep the doors open here and to keep my employees working and buying equipment,” says Troy Allen, the district’s general manager. “We normally rely on selling at least 80,000 to 120,000 acre feet of water annually to stay alive. And last year was a very, very tough year for us; we sold just a little under 30,000 acre feet worth of water.”

When speaking to The Packer in mid-August, he said the district has only sold 12,000 acre feet this year.

“We’ve really had to tighten our belts to survive,” he adds, explaining that his district usually employs between 51 to 55 people, but now only has 37. He says that, even with how tied into agriculture the region is, many people don’t realize “if we don’t survive, then the farming industry doesn’t survive.”

Hinojosa similarly described irrigation districts as little-known but essential entities in the Texas political landscape.

“We fall between the cracks. Municipalities get all the attention because of the population,” he says.

But negative impacts to irrigation districts are not just a farming issue; they also serve municipalities. Allen says his district serves a few small municipalities, though often at a loss. Galeazzi describes the whole network that depends on water from Mexico as likely to face adjacent economic impacts.

“If the irrigation company has no water, those guys are out of jobs. That infrastructure doesn’t get reinvestment, doesn’t get updated or modernized, further dilapidates, creates further inefficiencies,” he says. “That’s that adjacent community, that adjacent economic downturn, that’s happening as a result of this water scarcity the longer that it goes on in our region.”

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Mexico Probably Won’t Deliver All the Water it Owes

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 14:34:58 GMT

Mexico has two months left to deliver almost 1 million acre-feet of water to the U.S., but all that water probably won’t be coming, according to U.S. experts.

“Barring some kind of tropical system, that’s not going to happen,” says Sonny Hinojosa, current water advocate and former general manager at the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2 in San Juan, Texas.

According to the 1944 treaty that governs water sharing between the U.S. and Mexico , Mexico must deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande into Texas every five years. The current cycle ends October 25. As of Aug. 25, it only delivered 747,982 acre-feet , 43% of the total.

“The only thing that can bail Mexico out is a tropical system,” Hinojosa says. “Now, this is a monsoon season in northwest Mexico and west Texas, so we’re still hopeful to get some precipitation, but that still may or may not be enough to get us 100% of the water that we need.”

The deliveries of water from Mexico the the U.S. on the Rio Grande as of Aug. 25, 2025, from the International Boundary and Water Commission.

(Chart from International Boundary and Water Commission)

Hoping for a hurricane

Ideally, Mexico should deliver 350,000 acre-feet of water to the Rio Grande for Texas annually to reach the five-year total of 1.75 million acre-feet. But the 1944 treaty allows deliveries to run on the five-year cycle in the case of extraordinary drought. Mexico has been citing this provision and delivering water later and later in the cycle , often getting into “water debt” by not delivering enough on time.

In the past few cycles, late-cycle hurricanes bumped up deliveries. In the last cycle, which ended on Oct. 24, 2020, Mexico made the total 1.75 million acre-feet in the last days due to a heavy weather event.

The last time Mexico delivered roughly a million-acre feet of water in a couple months — what’s needed now — was at the end of 2010 as a result of Hurricane Alex that hit Mexico in late June.

“That’s the last time our reservoirs were full,” Hinojosa says.

The recent history of water delivery cycles from Mexico to the U.S. on the Rio Grande as recorded by the International Boundary and Water Commission. The mostly-vertical lime green line on the far left of the chart is shows the impact of Hurricane Alex in 2010.

(Chart from the International Boundary and Water Commission)

Alex was a just-in-time hurricane for Texas as well. Hinojosa explains those full reservoirs in late 2010 protected the state’s agriculture while it was deep in drought in 2011 and 2012. But by 2013, the water had again run out.

“It’s horrible to hope for a hurricane, but sometimes it seems to be what we need to get us caught up,” says Troy Allen, general manager of the Delta Lake Irrigation District in Edcouch, Texas.

“We don’t want the devastating ones that kill people,” he adds. “But if we do not get a hurricane this year in the watershed area, it’s going to be very rough come next year.”

Lucas Gregory, associate director and chief science officer of the Texas Water Resources Institute, says the best-case scenario “would be for a system to move pretty far inland and rain up in the mountains, in Chihuahua and the Rio Conchos watershed. That’s upstream of Amistad [International Reservoir], and that’s where the best storage capacity is.”

It’s not just a drought problem

However, there’s far more than drought going on in the situation between Mexico and Texas.

Gregory highlights issues such as growing metro populations on both sides of the Rio Grande and the impacts of climate change as contributing factors.

“But the ability of Mexico to store water in country is improved,” he adds. “They’ve built a lot more reservoirs in more recent history than the U.S. has, so now they can actually hold that water there and use it for themselves.”

Hinojosa says Mexico has built eight reservoirs since the 1944 treaty. Most were built along the Rio Conchos, a major tributary that delivers a lot of water to the Rio Grande — or used to, he says.

“Now they’re capturing it and using all the water for their expanded irrigation,” Gregory adds. “They’re basically irrigating desert with our water.”

Every source The Packer talked to pointed to the expansion of Mexico’s agriculture as a reason the U.S. is not getting the water it’s owed. This is particularly the case in the dry state of Chihuahua, and especially problematic with permanent, water-hungry crops like pecans.

Hinojosa points to the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement as when the problems started.

“It opened the doors for Mexico, mainly Chihuahua, to expand their irrigated agriculture into the desert using water that used to flow into the Rio Grande,” he explains.

“They’re using our water, and I say ‘our water’ because it’s rightfully ours,” he continues. “They’re capturing that water, storing it, using it to grow crops and then bringing them to the U.S. for us. And they’re killing our farmers. They’re killing our market.”

The impact on Texas growers

Since Mexico has only delivered roughly two years’ worth of water over the course of five years, Texas farmers and growers have been in a tough place for a while. Allen explains that his growers have been “on allocation” since April of 2023, while others in neighboring irrigation districts have enforced it since 2022.

“Meaning that they’ve told their farmers they are only going to get X number of irrigations,” he says. He calls the situation unprecedented in his 22 years at the district.

“It’s been very difficult for my farmers,” he adds, saying it is especially “looking pretty scary for the citrus farmers.”

Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, says Texas produce growers in particular are going to have to make some tough decisions.

“What it means this coming season is our growers are going to continue to veer away from water-intensive crops,” he says. “They’re not going to put in broccoli. They’re not going to put in celery. They’re probably not going to take a lot of chances on new commodities. They’re going to double down on what they know works.”

Those produce standbys will likely be crops like cabbage, onions, carrots and established citrus like oranges and grapefruit, he says. But the potential loss of produce diversity comes with its own problems.

“The diversity, the variety, the trying new things — that’s what has always helped South Texas be a region that provides commercial volumes of fresh fruits and vegetables,” Galeazzi stresses. But, without assurances about water availability, growers will likely stay in the safe lane, he adds.

“The safe lane is great, but the safe lane isn’t always profitable, and that’s challenging because now you’re coming off of two years where profits have been cut into if there’s even profits. And now, you’re about to go into year three of pretty similar conditions. It’s gut wrenching.”

What’s likely to happen in the next two months

Though Texas probably won’t get the full volume of water owed by Mexico, it will likely get some additional water this cycle. It might even amount to more than the usual annual delivery.

In an agreement signed between the U.S. State Department and Mexico in late April , Mexico pledged to deliver 324,000 to 420,000 acre-feet between the signing and October. That’s roughly a year’s worth of water delivered in five months. These deliveries are on top of the 110,000 acre-feet Mexico had delivered since the start of the current water year that started Oct. 25, 2024 and late April 2025.

If realized, the April agreement will bring the total deliveries for the current water year to 434,000 to 530,000 acre-feet, and the total five-year cycle deliveries between 854,000 and 950,000 acre-feet.

“Mexico has delivered 60.8% of the minimum that they said they would, so they’re on target to deliver this minimum of 324,000 acre feet,” Hinojosa says. “By the time this current cycle ends, it still leaves them with a deficit, but nonetheless, it has brought us some water in in recent history.”

Hinojosa praises the current administration for putting pressure on Mexico to achieve the April agreement that actually seems to be happening.

“I’ve been in this business for 38 years, and I’ve never known Mexico to do anything voluntarily before a cycle ends,” he says. “There’s a lot of pressure being put on Mexico, and that’s why they made these targets of delivering water to the U.S. before this current cycle ends.”

Needs for the future

More pressure is going to be needed to prevent this situation from repeating in the future, sources say.

“[Our administration is] going to have to implement something that puts pressure on Mexico that’s not tied to water,” Allen opines. That might mean tariffs or inclusion into the USMCA renegotiation, but whatever it is, it needs to spur Mexico to make good on their delivery requirements.

“Mexico could have fulfilled and caught up to what they owed us in 2022 because their reservoirs were full. They had a little over 3 million acre-feet in storage, and they still were over a year behind at that point in time,” Allen says. “But they didn’t deliver any of that water to the U.S.”

Hinojosa says a mindset change is needed in Mexico.

“We need Mexico to treat us, the United States, as we treat them on the Colorado River,” he says. The same 1944 treaty that dictate’s Mexico’s water deliveries to the U.S. on the Rio Grande also dictates the U.S.’s deliveries of water to Mexico on the Colorado River.

He says the U.S. takes Mexico’s allocation “off the top” of the available water in the Colorado River, then divides the rest among the seven U.S. states that rely on it. But Mexico does not return the favor, he adds.

“That has to change,” Hinojosa says. “Mexico needs to recognize that the treaty calls for a minimum delivery to United States of 350,000 acre-feet per year — that’s a minimum delivery — and they need to set that water aside and deliver that water to United States.”

Galeazzi also advocates for a mindset change here in the U.S. around not only Texas’ water issues with Mexico, but all of the country’s water issues. He describes the U.S. as having put water infrastructure on the back burner, adding that the country has “hamstrung ourselves” with excessive and burdensome regulations.

“We absolutely need to pressure Mexico,” he says. “But, if we want to prevent this from happening, the other thing we have to do is we — as a region, a state and a country — need to get serious and make some very big investments in the infrastructure of water.”

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Global Grape Group Talks Strategy for Boosting U.S. Demand

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:56:07 GMT

Presenting and defining the Global Grape Group’s (GGG) demand strategy was one of the key topics at the Second International Table Grape Congress, held in Lima, Peru, Aug. 13-14.

Organized by the Peruvian Table Grape Producers Association (Provid), the event featured participation from Frutas de Chile, along with its grape committee, and Table Grapes from Mexico, gathering nearly 700 representatives from the industry who analyzed technical, climatic, logistical and market issues related to table grapes.

During the “From Individual Challenge to Collective Action: The Value of Competition in the Table Grape Industry” panel, GGG representatives reflected on the group as a driving force to build a common voice, face shared challenges and strengthen the competitiveness of the industry in major global markets.

Ignacio Caballero, executive director of Frutas de Chile’s Table Grape Committee, addressed the main challenge facing the industry.

“In the last eight years, we have seen a 40% increase in the supply of Southern Hemisphere grapes to its main market, the U.S., while demand has only increased by 3% during the same period,” Caballero says. “If we expect a 13% increase in volumes in the coming years, the mismatch between supply and demand will be even greater. The weekly demand level is stagnant at 3.5 million boxes; when it exceeds this level, as happened for more than 10 weeks during the last season, prices drop dramatically. Therefore, it is crucial that we, as GGG, work together to increase this demand. The cost of doing nothing is too high for everyone.”

For his part, Rodrigo Vallejo, CEO of the Ro2media agency, presented the results of the “Have a Grape Day” campaign , developed in collaboration with the GGG, that launched in the U.S. for the 2024-25 season.

“The campaign clearly establishes, in a versatile manner, filled with positive energy and emotionally effective, the concept that a grape can improve your day — it’s that simple,” Vallejo points out, adding that there were significant achievements in this first campaign.

He says this initial campaign achieved important coverage through specialized industry media, with great results considering the relatively low initial resources invested for the challenge at hand.

“We exceeded the goals, achieving incremental sales of over US$10 million with our 49 programs in supermarkets,” he says. Additionally, he emphasizes that “this campaign impacted 83 million consumers, creating 35 million new ones and increasing an additional 1.4 kilograms per capita for those who saw the campaign.”

To conclude, Vallejo presented data from other similar success cases, such as Zespri, Chilean Cherries, and Avocados from Mexico, stating: “It was a good start, but we need to invest more as we should expect a return on investment between 450% and 600%. We are currently investing only US$0.7 per ton, while others are investing up to US$71 per ton. This is just the beginning; we aim for more. We need more participants.”

Luis Miguel Vegas, general manager of Provid, highlighted the importance of industry collaboration and questioned what Peru needs to manage a projected production of 100 million boxes of grapes in the future, emphasizing the need for the industry to work cohesively to sustain its development. The major issues from the past season were logistical problems caused by volume concentration. For this reason, he urges the industry to start investing in promotions through the GGG.

“The United States is the main market for table grapes; it is the ideal place to begin the GGG’s actions,” adds Sergio Lugo, general manager of Table Grapes from Mexico. “We must have a medium-term strategy, starting in one place to generate a strong impact, and as we achieve results, diversify campaigns to other destinations.”

Regarding who can join the GGG, Lugo explains: “The idea is to start the GGG with our three countries but to include other origins as we have the plan ready. California, South Africa, and Brazil, among others, have already shown interest in joining. Additionally, we are defining the framework for other industry stakeholders to join.”

GGG Strategy

The steps defined by GGG initially included a “Sowing” phase in 2024-2025, which involved creating the GGG through the signing of a memo of understanding and its establishment with headquarters in the U.S. Ro2media, which works with Avocados from Mexico among other clients, was then selected. GGG defined its objectives during this period as well, focusing on increasing grape consumption globally, exchanging information among the countries of the group and promoting best sustainability practices.

The 2025-2026 season will mark the “First Harvest” stage, which includes the first full promotional campaign of the GGG and its launch in the U.S., according to the group.

GGG representatives estimate that efforts to boost grape demand in the U.S. could mean an investment of between $2 million and $3 million for the 2025-26 season, which equates to between 2-3 cents per box of grapes, with a potential medium-term benefit of between $1 and $2 per box.

GGG plans to present its complete plan to the industry during the International Fresh Produce Association’s 2026 Global Produce and Floral Show on Oct. 16, at 3 p.m. in Anaheim, Calif.

Avocados From Mexico to Resume Pair of Seasonal Campaigns

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 09:32:03 GMT

Avocados From Mexico will continue its Susan G. Komen and college football campaigns this fall, says Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution.

As part of the fifth year of its partnership with Susan G. Komen, Avocados From Mexico will have a bag promotion and POS bins during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

“With breast cancer being the most common type of cancer among women in the U.S., accounting for 32% of newly diagnosed cancers, we are happy to be able to spread awareness in the produce aisle,” she says.

Besides offering eye-catching retail displays and packaging, Avocados From Mexico plans to donate $100,000 to the organization.

Avocados From Mexico will also have a gridiron presence as it enters its third year as the official avocado brand of the college football playoffs.

“We are continuing the program with bags that include special offers for consumers,” Bazan says.

Since one-third of football fans say guacamole is a favorite game day snack, Bazan recommends that retailers merchandise avocados with complementary items — such as tomatoes, onions, cilantro and chips — to help create “guacamole stations.”

“Displaying these items together makes it easy for last-minute planners to purchase and create recipes at home,” Bazan explains.

Mexican avocados are available year-round thanks to four bloom cycles, and they hold a majority market share from October through December, says Bazan, who adds that volume has grown by 29% since 2015.

Growing conditions have been good in Michoacan and Jalisco, major avocado growing areas in Mexico, so growers expect a more balanced size curve this year than last year.

“The Mexican avocado industry is committed to producing high-quality avocados,” Bazan says. “The dry matter quality control program ensures that there is at least 23% oil in every avocado.”

Trump Gives Mexico 90-day Tariff Reprieve as Deadline for Higher Duties Looms

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 18:39:13 GMT

U.S. President Donald Trump gave Mexico a 90-day reprieve from higher tariffs to negotiate a broader trade deal but was expected to issue higher final duty rates for most other countries as the clock wound down on his Friday deal deadline.

The extension, which avoids a 30% tariff on most Mexican non-automotive and non-metal goods compliant with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, came after a Thursday morning call between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“We avoided the tariff increase announced for tomorrow,” Sheinbaum wrote in an X social media post, adding that the call with Trump was “very good.”

Approximately 85% of Mexican exports comply with the rules of origin outlined in the USMCA, shielding them from 25% tariffs related to fentanyl, according to Mexico’s economy ministry.

Trump said the U.S. would continue to levy a 50% tariff on Mexican steel, aluminum and copper and a 25% tariff on Mexican autos and on non-USMCA-compliant goods subject to tariffs related to the U.S. fentanyl crisis.

“Additionally, Mexico has agreed to immediately terminate its non-tariff trade barriers, of which there were many,” Trump said in a Truth Social post without providing details.

Trump is expected to issue tariff rate proclamations later on Thursday for countries that have not struck trade deals by a 12:01 a.m. EDT (04:01 GMT) deadline.

South Korea agreed on Wednesday to accept a 15% tariff on its exports to the U.S., including autos, down from a threatened 25%, as part of a deal that includes a pledge to invest $350 billion in U.S. projects to be chosen by Trump.

But goods from India appeared to be headed for a 25% tariff after talks bogged down over access to India’s agriculture sector, drawing a higher-rate threat from Trump that also included an unspecified penalty for India’s purchases of Russian oil.

Although negotiations with India were continuing, New Delhi vowed to protect the country’s labor-intensive farm sector, triggering outrage from the opposition party and a slump in the rupee.

Tough Questions From Judges

Trump hit Brazil on Wednesday with a steep 50% tariff as he escalated his fight with Latin America’s largest economy over its prosecution of his friend and former President Jair Bolsonaro, but softened the blow by excluding sectors such as aircraft, energy and orange juice from heavier levies.

The run-up to Trump’s tariff deadline was unfolding as federal appeals court judges sharply questioned Trump’s use of a sweeping emergency powers law to justify his sweeping tariffs of up to 50% on nearly all trading partners. Trump invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to declare an emergency over the growing U.S. trade deficit and impose his reciprocal tariffs and a separate fentanyl emergency.

The Court of International Trade ruled in May that the actions exceeded his executive authority, and questions from judges during oral arguments before the U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit in Washington indicated further skepticism.

“IEEPA doesn’t even say tariffs, doesn’t even mention them,” Judge Jimmie Reyna said at one point during the hearing.

China Deal Not Done

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. believes it has the makings of a trade deal with China, but it is “not 100% done,” and still needs Trump’s approval.

U.S. negotiators “pushed back quite a bit” over two days of trade talks with the Chinese in Stockholm this week, Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.

China is facing an Aug. 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with Trump’s administration, after Beijing and Washington reached preliminary deals in May and June to end escalating tit-for-tat tariffs and a cut-off of rare earth minerals.

(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey in Washington and Aftab Ahmed in New Delhi; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Leaders of North American Produce Industry Urge Swift End to Tariff Dispute

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 18:16:19 GMT

More than a dozen representatives of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector in North America sent a letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to push for a swift end to ongoing tariff disputes, citing severe consequences to growers, exporters, retailers and consumers.

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and the other co-signers say these tariffs threaten the aﬀordability, accessibility and stability of fresh produce supplies across the continent.

“The fresh produce supply chain is one of the most deeply integrated in the world, with cross-border trade between our nations ensuring year-round access to healthy fruits and vegetables,” says Cathy Burns, IFPA CEO. “Consistent access to safe, nutritious produce is essential to addressing chronic health challenges. Tariﬀs on these vital goods disrupt that balance — driving up grocery costs, reducing availability and placing significant strain on the businesses that grow, ship, and deliver our food.”

In 2024, Canada imported nearly $5.5 billion in fresh produce from the U.S. and $3 billion from Mexico. The U.S. imported over 24 billion pounds of fresh produce from Mexico — valued at $19.6 billion — and exported more than $1.7 billion into Mexico. The organizations say these figures illustrate the tight-knit and mutually beneficial trade relationships that have long supported regional food security and public health.

“The stability of the North American fresh produce market is paramount. Canada’s industry is inextricably linked with our trading partners; any disruption directly impacts our growers, supply chains, and ultimately, consumer access and affordability,” says Ron Lemaire, CPMA president. “We stand with our domestic and global colleagues in demanding that leaders prioritize swift and collaborative resolution to safeguard the continental supply of fresh produce.”

The associations say in the letter that each country has a right to address unfair trade practices, but the associations caution that tariﬀs on perishable goods cause immediate and disproportionate harm to the supply chain. The organizations urge leaders to pursue a collaborative, long-term trade agreement that brings stability and predictability to the marketplace.

“Our organizations remain committed to supporting fair and open trade,” Burns and Lemaire said jointly in a news release. “We stand ready to work with all three governments to reach a solution that protects consumers, ensures food security, and strengthens the agricultural economies of North America.”

Will Termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement Lead to an 'Eggs Moment' for Tomatoes?

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 22:19:27 GMT

On July 14, when the U.S. Department of Commerce terminated the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Duty Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico and imposed a 17% tariff on most imports of tomatoes from Mexico, reaction from the fresh produce industry was pronounced and deeply divided.

“Mexico remains one of our greatest allies, but for far too long our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes. That ends today,” says Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in a news release. “This rule change is in line with President Trump’s trade policies and approach with Mexico.”

But ag economists and industry researchers say the end of the agreement and tariff hike will put billions in economic activity at risk and threaten tens of thousands of jobs. And they say American consumers are likely to feel the impact in higher tomato prices at retail, with some ag economists anticipating the price of not only Mexican tomatoes to increase by about 8.5%, but also prices on all tomatoes sold in the U.S.

Whether to extend the 90-day review period or terminate the agreement has been fiercely debated in the fresh produce industry, with those calling for its termination saying it failed to prevent Mexican exporters from dumping below-production-cost tomatoes into the U.S. market, and proponents of the agreement’s extension saying the past five Tomato Suspension Agreements did not fail, but rather benefited American consumers.

Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, calls the decision to end the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement a bold and crucial action. “This decision will protect hardworking American tomato growers from unfair Mexican trading practices and send a strong signal that the Trump administration is committed to ensuring fair markets for American agriculture,” he says.

(Photo: STOCKSTUDIO, Adobe Stock)

Florida Claims Victory

Both the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association and the Florida Tomato Exchange call the end of the agreement a victory for U.S. tomato growers.

FFVA says this is a positive movement “toward fairer competition, not only for tomato growers but for all specialty crop producers nationwide,” stating Mexico dumped imports into the market for too long, injuring the U.S. tomato industry.

“This action demonstrates that U.S. trade laws can protect American farmers and ensure that U.S. consumers have access to locally grown fruits and vegetables,” the association says. “We are grateful to Commerce Secretary Lutnick and President Trump for listening to growers and leveling the playing field. And for the relentless advocacy of the Florida Congressional Delegation. The future of the industry is stronger without the undue pressures of unfair foreign trade.”

Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, calls it a bold and crucial action.

“This decision will protect hardworking American tomato growers from unfair Mexican trading practices and send a strong signal that the Trump Administration is committed to ensuring fair markets for American agriculture,” Guenther says. “Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick recognized that five previous agreements with Mexico had failed, and that strong enforcement of U.S. trade laws is needed to protect the stability of our food supply chain.”

Guenther adds the ending of the agreement will ensure that “American consumers will have more choices and higher-quality products, while strengthening America’s food system against future disruptions.”

Bob Spencer, owner of West Coast Tomato in Palmetto, Fla., said in an op-ed sent to The Packer that he’s seen a rapid change in the American tomato market, where at one point he says American tomatoes supplied about 80% of the U.S. market but are now down to about 30%.

“When the first agreement went into effect, we saw the impact almost immediately. Prices dropped. U.S. growers started losing contracts. Family farms began shutting down,” he says. “Many hardworking growers have thrown in the towel because they couldn’t compete due to these trade practices. Just this season, we have seen one Florida tomato farm sell off prime tomato acreage for development while another just announced they are going out of business and are in the process of selling off their equipment. That’s the human cost of failed trade policy.”

Spencer says U.S. growers can’t survive in a system that “rewards dumping and turns a blind eye to enforcement,” noting that ending the Tomato Suspension Agreement helps protect American growers and U.S. food production.

Greenhouse Tomato Growers ‘Deeply Disappointed’

The CEA Alliance is deeply disappointed that the Commerce Department chose to proceed with termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico, despite multiple U.S. agriculture and business stakeholders urging renegotiation of the agreement, Stenzel says.

“Unfortunately, the Department [of Commerce] failed to take into account the voice of our members in the U.S. greenhouse tomato industry, which now grows more than one-third of all U.S. fresh tomatoes,” he says. “When the original dumping order was issued in 1996, the greenhouse sector was just beginning to grow, offering consumers better-tasting, vine-ripe tomatoes compared with field tomatoes that are picked green.”

Today, greenhouse tomatoes represent the growth in the category, says Stenzel, pointing to the USDA, which reports production of U.S.-grown greenhouse tomatoes increased 69% from 2010 to 2023, compared to a 49% decline in field-grown tomatoes.

“Because most high-value greenhouse growers farm in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, the termination of this agreement will cause significant damage to these growers, serving as a financial barrier to new investment in U.S. greenhouses,” he says. “Unfortunately, this became a political issue that was not resolved on the facts of what would be best for American businesses and consumers.”

Stenzel says the CEA Alliance will continue to stress the “critical importance” of the U.S. greenhouse tomato industry moving forward.

“We remain hopeful that open-field growers will reengage in discussions that could serve all parties much more effectively than this order,” he says.

The Economics of Ending Agreement

Luis Ribera, director of the Center for North American Studies at Texas A&M University, rebuts the claim that Mexican imports cause lower tomato prices. He co-authored a study with Andrew Muhammad, professor of agriculture and resource economics at the University of Tennessee, which examined the economic impact of fresh tomato imports on fresh tomato prices.

Ribera says U.S. importers of Mexican tomatoes paid 31 cents per pound in 1995, and they paid around 74 cents per pound in 2024.

“The claim that tomato prices are low because of Mexican imports — the data doesn’t show that,” he says.

In fact, Ribera says price increases align with general food inflation.

“They have often exceeded prices paid to American farmers and kept pace with the overall rise in food prices the past three decades,” Ribera and Muhammad wrote in the study.

Ribera says retailers and consumers should expect more volatility in the market, as the Tomato Suspension Agreement took some of the risk in the market.

“There is a lot of uncertainty,” he says. “When you have uncertainty, you’re going to have volatility. It’s going to hurt the U.S. economy, even though it’s imported products.”

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs cited the Texas A&M study in a press release on her website that said the decision to terminate the Tomato Suspension Agreement will put $8.33 billion in economic activity at risk and threaten over 50,000 agribusiness jobs in Arizona and Texas. She was joined by affected business leaders and elected officials in denouncing the decision to terminate the agreement.

Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, also sees the end of the Tomato Suspension Agreement as detrimental to the U.S. economy and consumer.

“Food inflation is real,” he says. “When prices go up for one item, especially an essential like tomatoes, consumers will spend less on other items. As shoppers spend less on other items, other industry sectors will see reduced volumes, which will contribute to a cycle of layoffs and failures in the food business.

“Also, the cash flow crunch, and the long-term uncertainty existing under antidumping duties means in two years, commerce could retroactively increase the margin, and companies would have to find a way to retroactively pay the difference on all the tomatoes that they shipped during that prior time frame,” he continues. “It is an expense that is impossible to predict or even to plan for. We could see a huge negative impact in two years that causes many companies to go out of business or face significant financial impacts.”

Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, sees the end of the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement as detrimental to the U.S. economy and consumer. “Food inflation is real,” he says. “When prices go up for one item, especially an essential like tomatoes, consumers will spend less on other items.”

(Photo: Ivanb, Adobe Stock)

Are Tomatoes Poised for an ‘Eggs Moment’?

David Magaña, senior analyst with RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness, says the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement will cause prices in the U.S. to rise. This is due to a number of factors, he says, including that about 70% of the fresh tomatoes consumed in the U.S. are imported and about 90% of U.S. fresh tomato imports are from Mexico.

“The U.S. heavily relies on Mexican tomatoes, especially for specialty varieties like vine-ripened, roma, grape and cocktail tomatoes,” Magaña says. “With the tariff in place, importers must either absorb the cost (unlikely for most), or pass it on to retailers, who then pass it on to consumers.”

What’s more, U.S. growers, including those in Florida and California, can’t immediately scale up production to replace Mexican supply, creating a supply gap that will also drive prices higher, Magaña says.

American consumers also now expect year-round and robust tomato supplies, helping to make U.S. fresh tomato demand more inelastic in recent decades.

“Per basic economic theory, the more inelastic the demand is, the higher proportion of the duty will be absorbed by consumers versus exporters,” he says.

In 2023, Timothy Richards, professor and chair of the Morrison School of Agribusiness at Arizona State University, and a team of researchers released a study on the direct impact of the end of the Tomato Suspension Agreement. He says a crucial finding in that study is what he calls the “pass-through rate,” or the percentage of the duty that the American consumer will absorb.

“We found that the pass-through rate is going to be about 50%, so my fearless forecast, as all economists like to make, is roughly half of that tariff will be reflected in consumer prices,” he says. “Given that we found out that it’s going to be 17%, my prediction is that on average, we expect tomatoes to go up by 8.5%.”

Richards cautions that this 8.5% increase in tomato prices will likely not only affect imports but will also impact every tomato sold in the U.S.

“Because if Mexican tomatoes go up in price, then obviously American prices are going to go up to match that,” he says. “All tomatoes are going to be that much more expensive in the store.”

Ribera says he doesn’t think this price increase will stop Americans from buying tomatoes, but it will likely impact shopping habits.

“They might change the kind of tomatoes that they buy,” he says. “Instead of the heirlooms that are a little more expensive, they might go to roma tomatoes. Consumers who like to consume organic tomatoes from Mexico, for example, might switch to conventional because of the price hike.”

While Jungmeyer says consumers might not see an immediate price hike at the supermarket, as it’s summer when production from Mexico is not as high as U.S. production, spikes are on the horizon.

“Later in the fall and winter is when we would see the impacts begin on pricing,” he says. “Importers will need to pass along the increased duty amounts to buyers and ultimately consumers. Also, because of the intensive cash flow of duties, the required customs bonding and other expenses associated, it is going to drive a lot of companies to either greatly reduce their plantings or even get out of the tomato business. This supply shortage will lead to an ‘eggs moment,’ where fob prices could rise uncontrollably, with supermarket prices to follow. Higher fobs, combined with the duty, will make next year’s tomatoes even more expensive.”

“Seventy percent of the fresh tomatoes Americans eat are from Mexico, which means this withdrawal will result in higher prices for American families,” agrees Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. He adds that termination of the agreement “introduces uncertainty and disruption into a binational supply chain that supports tens of thousands of jobs, especially in the Texas border region where we cross 2 billion pounds of tomatoes.”

Rather than scrap the agreement, Galeazzi says all parties would have been better served by modernizing and improving the agreement.

“We urge the administration to reengage in negotiations and prioritize a solution that supports fair trade, economic stability and a healthy supply chain for one of the most widely consumed fresh produce items in the country,” he adds.

Richards says, unfortunately, the big loser in the end of this Tomato Suspension Agreement is the American consumer as tomato prices increase. And he says reducing consumption or access to fresh fruits and vegetables does not square well with healthy eating and nutritional goals.

“There’s an adage in economics that you either import the people or you import the products when there’s labor cost differences
between two countries,” he says. “The decision was that we don’t want to import the products. And all the news from the weekend is that we don’t want to import the people either. So, there’s a train wreck happening here that you can see coming down the road. There will be labor cost differences between Mexico and the U.S. We either need the people or we need the product. We need to decide, as a society, which one we’re going to do.”

President Trump Threatens New Round of Tariffs Over the Weekend: Here’s the Latest

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:39:36 GMT

U.S. commodity markets were down to start the week in Sunday night trade as the markets digested the latest tariff announcement by President Donald Trump. On Saturday, President Trump threatened to impose 30% tariffs on Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1. The announcement came after a string of new tariff threats last week, as the Trump administration’s deadline for trade deals came due.

On Monday, President Trump continued with tariff talk, saying he would implement “severe tariffs” on Russia unless a peace deal is reached with Ukraine within 50 days.

He provided few details on how they would be implemented but described them as 100% secondary tariffs, meaning they would target Russia’s trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy.

The latest tariff threats weren’t good news for farmers looking to price fertilizer for fall, as StoneX Group says Russia is the United States’ top destination for both urea and UAN imports. StoneX points out Russia’s market chair has “grown substantially in recent years.”

Monday’s news follows a week where many anticipated trade deals. Instead, President Trump made a series of announcements with new tariffs. The new tariffs on Mexico and the European Union, which Trump announced Saturday, capped off a week of sweeping tariff threats.

Earlier in the week, Trump warned of a possible:

50% tariff on all copper imports
50% tariff on all goods from Brazil
35% tariff on Canadian goods
25% tariff on goods from Japan
25% tariff on imports from South Korea
200% tariff on imported pharmaceuticals

The positive side of the announcements is the Trump administration says any products covered under the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (UMCA) won’t face the new tariffs.

President Trump also sent letters to both Japan and South Korea last week, saying their goods will be taxed at 25% starting August 1st.

The President posted the two letters he sent to those countries’ leaders on his Truth Social site. In the letter to South Korea, he stated when it comes to Korea’s tariff and non-tariff polices and trade barriers, the relationship between the two countries has been far from reciprocal. He added the 25% tariff was far less than what he says is needed to eliminate a trade deficit disparity.

The letter to Japan added if Japanese companies decide to build or manufacture a product within the U.S., there will be no tariffs. Japanese and U.S. negotiators have been working for several weeks to try and reach a deal.

Lack of Progress Impacts Commodity Prices
The lack of trade announcements last week was just one factor that caused corn prices to tank, according to AgMarket.net’s Matt Bennett. While rain in the upper Corn Belt was also bearish for the markets, little to no movement on trade is also pressuring prices.

“We had no trade announcements, and then we continued to talk about tariffs. The unfortunate reality right now is it appears the administration is playing the long game, trying to get people to come to the table with better trade deals than what we currently have seen. But it certainly isn’t doing any favors for the corn market,” Bennett said on U.S. Farm Report this weekend. “I think something like a big trade agreement certainly could tilt the tide more in the favor of the corn market moving higher. Until you get that, with weather being as good as what it is, there’s nothing there.”

It’s not all bearish, though. Arlan Suderman of StoneX Group says the 50% tariff on Brazil is actually bullish for beef.

“We already have a shortage of protein in America with the cattle herd being shrinking over recent years because of lingering drought in the western half of the country, and supplies are tight. We’re just getting to the point of trying to rebuild those supplies, which holding back heifers, tightens up the supply of meat even more. We’re feeding to record-high carcass weights to try to fill the void. We’re increasing imports to record levels. Brazil is the primary supplier of those imports: 27% of our imports come from Brazil in the first five months of the year, according to the latest data we have available, that’s 666 million pounds. That’s 4% of consumption,” Suderman says.

If you think 4% doesn’t sound like a big deal, Suderman says it is - especially considering meat demand in the U.S. has turned out to be inelastic.

“We’ve been shifting from a starch-based diet more heavily toward protein-based. And as the prices go up, we’re actually increasing demand for beef and the other proteins - but we don’t have the supply of it. I think that could be a real problem going forward for the meat industry and the meat supply. We will have to find somewhere else to get that meat,” Suderman says.

Are Trade Deals Close?

While President Trump initially stated he had reached trade agreements with 200 countries, only a few have been officially announced. These include deals with China, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam, however. Negotiations with other countries are ongoing, with the administration extending the deadline for tariff-related negotiations to August 1.

The European Union says it was working on sealing a trade deal with the U.S. by the end of this month, and the European Commission president says the EU was working closely with the Trump administration to reach a deal.

Tomato Suspension Agreement is an ‘Economic Engine,’ says FPAA President Lance Jungmeyer

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 20:45:59 GMT

Industry opinions differ on the best path forward for the Tomato Suspension Agreement, with the Florida Tomato Exchange, Texas tomato growers, greenhouse growers and industry organizations all weighing in as the agreement nears the end of its 90-day implementation period.

Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, recently shared his take on the Tomato Suspension Agreement with The Packer via email.

Tomato Suspension Agreement is an “economic engine,” says FPAA President Lance Jungmeyer.

(Photo courtesy of Lance Jungmeyer)

You’ve said the Tomato Suspension Agreement is an economic engine that contributes more than $8 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports nearly 50,000 jobs across multiple industries. What do you say to those who argue the Department of Commerce has found Mexican exporters have dumped tomatoes into the U.S. market below their cost of production and by margins as high as 273%?

Jungmeyer: Since the 2019 agreement took effect, the Department of Commerce has not found a single violation of that agreement, including the requirement to eliminate dumping. The 273% margin refers to data from 1995. Obviously, the market has changed considerably over the past 30 years.

Do you see this as a Florida tomato grower versus Mexico tomato grower issue?

This is not a Florida versus Mexico issue. Rather, it reflects a deeper divide between Florida and states like Texas and Arizona. It’s also a debate between traditional open-field cultivation of mature green tomatoes and the innovative greenhouse production of vine-ripe tomatoes.

Over 30 members of Congress from both parties and both chambers and from several states have urged the Department of Commerce to maintain the agreement. Nearly 500 U.S. industry associations and companies have likewise asked the Department of Commerce to maintain the agreement.

In the fall of 2023, the Arizona Legislature passed a resolution in support of the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement, and just last week, Governor Abbott of Texas signed a resolution into law in the state that underscores the importance of the agreement to the economy of Texas. The truth is that U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers will be the losers if the agreement is terminated and not renegotiated and modernized.

What is your response to Florida tomato growers who say Mexican tomato imports have used unfair trade practices to increase volume to over 70% of the U.S. market?

The 2019 agreement and its predecessor never guaranteed anyone a specific share of the market. Instead, it leveled the playing field through higher prices.

Tomato imports from Mexico are not the cause of the loss in market share by Florida tomato growers. Adverse weather events, labor shortages, soil salinity and urbanization in Florida have all caused a loss of market share. In recent years, Florida growers have invested tens of millions of dollars in tomato growing operations in Mexico, which have contributed to the shifts in market share and increase in imports.

Are you confident the U.S. can enforce fair trade laws for tomatoes imported from Mexico?

Again, the Department of Commerce has not found a single violation of the 2019 agreement after conducting numerous and rigorous monitoring and enforcement actions since the agreement took effect. Growers in Mexico and their U.S. selling agents have answered over 300 questionnaires since 2019, submitted over 5,000 quarterly certifications, and participated in five intensive annual reviews. In fact, the 2019 agreement has more enforcement and monitoring mechanisms than any other suspension agreement that the Department of Commerce administers, including an agreement covering uranium imports from Russia.

How would the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement impact Mexico-U.S. tomato trade?

A cash deposit of 17% will apply to most tomato imports from Mexico if the Department of Commerce terminates the agreement, and some form of a deposit would be in effect for at least two and a half years. While the Department of Commerce might ultimately refund some of those deposits, imports would still need to have the capital to pay those deposits for two and a half years. The truth is that most growers and importers in this industry do not have those financial resources at their disposal.

Moreover, the deposit rate could increase after two and a half years, requiring all importers to then also pay the difference for the two-and-a-half-year look back period, putting further financial strain on importers. This makes the surety requirement far more risky, costly and burdensome. In view of these costs, and the uncertainty regarding total duties owed, many growers will simply get out of the business of growing tomatoes, causing a dramatic decline in the supply of tomatoes from Mexico.

Having imports from Mexico is a good thing, particularly because Florida is prone to adverse weather events, soil issues, labor shortages and rapid urbanization.

And in a market that increasingly prefers vine-ripened and specialty tomatoes, termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement, which is anticipated to reduce the supply of such tomatoes, would send prices skyrocketing as demand remains constant or increases. Tens of thousands of jobs could be lost in the U.S., and over $8 billion in economic activity for the U.S. economy could be lost.

Job losses in Mexico stemming from the termination of the agreement could also be detrimental to the U.S.-Mexico relationship. The government of Mexico has already raised the possibility of retaliatory measures on U.S. pork and poultry exports to Mexico if the Department of Commerce terminates the agreement. Moreover, growers in Mexico employ hundreds of thousands of migrant workers on their farms and provide them with housing, health care, child care and schooling for their children, along with fair wages and other benefits. If growers in Mexico are forced to cut jobs for those workers due to the termination of the agreement, those workers could look for employment in the U.S., which has the potential to undermine the border security gains obtained by the administration since January 2025.

The bottom line is that the 2019 agreement provides certainty for the market, which would disappear if the agreement goes away. In 2019 there was only a preliminary determination, and the agreement was actively being renegotiated. Moreover, deposits were imposed in 2019 during the summer, when the volume of tomato imports from Mexico are historically low. The circumstances were temporary and much different.

In a recent interview with The Packer, Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, said “the evidence of dumping and injury is overwhelming.” What do you say to that?

The Department of Commerce’s valid dumping findings are based on 30-year-old data. The truth is that the department has found zero violations, and the anti-dumping duties are based on an investigation performed on a few companies — most of which no longer exist — back in 1995, when less than 10% of the U.S. population had email.

The 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement and its predecessors have leveled the playing field. In response to that level playing field, the Mexican industry invested in itself, building state-of-the-art growing and packing facilities and developing supply chains that met changing consumer preferences in the U.S. for specialty and vine-ripened tomatoes. U.S. importers working with Mexican growers have simply outcompeted Florida. Florida does not have a price problem; they have a failure to innovate problem.

Your next read:

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