Foreign imports of blueberries do not complement the U.S. domestic crop. Farmers and industry leaders in the Southeast sounded insulted about the notion that imports do not actually compete with their crop. They were asked about it during Tuesday’s virtual hearing with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).
“I find the comment that imports don’t affect us, it’s confusing to me, and I wonder if they’re trying to be comical,” said Jerome Crosby, Georgia blueberry grower and chairman of the American Blueberry Growers Alliance. “My farm operates both in the frozen world as well as the fresh world.
“On the frozen side, I have watched my sales, net margin drop from about 80 to 90 cents per pound for grade A. To this year, I received 38 to 40 cents per pound to pay off my farm expenses with. In the world I live in, it’s a problem.”