By Clint Thompson
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) investigations into the impact of imports of cucumbers and squash on seasonal domestic markets generated a positive response from the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA).
“They were never going to come out and make a recommendation or suggest any policy. It was really to provide the trade representative, Katherine Tai, really provide her with a snapshot of the industry,” said Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. “It wasn’t a ringing endorsement across the board, but I’m taking some positives away from it. If nothing else, it documents the surge. It documents the effect that the surge has on prices and the fact that without those surges, our southeastern growers would be moving a lot more product and would be bringing a lot more money home to their farms and local communities.”
The USITC concluded that the U.S. domestic market share for cucumbers fell from half to 40% in 2015-2020, while U.S. consumption increased by 24.3%. It is also found that Mexico is a competitive supplier of summer squash with decreased costs, high product quality and preferential packing and sorting.
Butts, however, highlighted the quality of Georgia’s vegetable production and would “put the quality against anybody.”
Now that the investigation has concluded, what’s next? Butts stresses the importance that action results. It remains a priority for his organization and others alike to educate consumers of the importance of buying local and supporting American farmers.
“It’ll be up to us to carry this report forward. I don’t think it’s a one-legged stool. I think we’ve got to continue to look for, are there legislative fixes that can bring some relief to growers? Are there trade fixes that, at the very least, minimize those surges during our seasons? The third leg is to continue to tell the story and promote the benefits and advantages that locally grown or Southeastern grown or U.S. grown produce brings to consumers,” Butts said.
“We’ve got to make sure the American grower is in a sustainable industry that can continue. Nobody wants to see us become reliant on other countries for our food. We’ve got to do something.”