California Avocado Growers Urging Washington to put American Farmers First in Mexico Trade Talks

California avocado farmers are being overrun by low-cost production from Mexico.

According to avocado growers, in Mexico, cartels are extorting growers, controlling portions of the supply chain, and using violence and intimidation to maintain that control.

The California Avocado Commission released a new video Thursday as part of a broad advocacy campaign urging federal officials to put American farmers first by adopting a seasonal import policy for Mexican avocados during California’s  marketing season, March to September.

The video:

The release comes as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday that the United States did not agree to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in its current form. The agreement, which governs much of the trade among the United States, Mexico and Canada, remains in force while the countries address its shortcomings. Greer also said the United States will meet with Mexico the week of July 20 for a third round of bilateral negotiations related to the trade agreement’s joint review

The Commission said those talks are directly relevant to California avocado growers because of Mexican avocado imports, cartel involvement in Mexico’s avocado industry, pest inspections and risks, and market oversupply all affect whether U.S. trade policy is working for American farmers and consumers.

“We are on the precipice of a culinary disaster, I call it, because there may come a day soon where we are no longer able to buy California avocados in our own backyard because of the oversurplus of imports on the market that are ultimately going to wipe out California avocados,” celebrity chef and restaurant owner Andrew Gruel said.

The Commission is calling for a seasonal Tariff Rate Quota on Mexican avocado imports from March through September, California’s primary harvest window. Under the proposal, a set volume of Mexican avocados would continue entering the U.S. market during those months at a zero  tariff rate. Imports above that level could still enter, but at a high tariff rate.

“California avocado growers are not asking to stop trade, we’re asking for the opportunity to compete fairly in our own market,” said Ken Melban, president of the California Avocado Commission. “A seasonal Tariff Rate Quota is a balanced, common-sense solution that supports orderly markets while protecting America’s domestic food production capacity. This video  tells the story of our growers and demonstrates why thoughtful trade policy is essential to preserving a vibrant domestic avocado industry.”

“From a single tree in Southern California, the Hass avocado became an icon, and it is 100% American,” Gruel said in the video. “In 1926, a mail carrier named Rudolph Haas planted a few avocado seedlings in La Habra Heights, California. One tree grew fruit so dark and rough that buyers thought it was spoiled. He nearly cut it down. But his children tasted it and they loved it. That one tree became the Haas avocado and fundamentally changed how America eats.”

“Buying local means that you’re getting a fresher product because there’s a shorter supply chain,” Gruel said. “side by side, the California avocado versus an imported avocado, it’s a better product hands down. It’s richer, it’s creamier, and that’s the most important thing. On top of all of that, you’re supporting a local economy and you’re supporting American farmers, and that’s the backbone of our economy.”

“In Mexico, cartels are extorting growers, controlling portions of the supply chain, and using violence and intimidation to maintain that control,” Jayme Franklin said in the video. “Whatever your perspective is on trade policy, protecting American agriculture and ensuring a safe, reliable food chain is necessary.”

“California farmers have raised serious concerns about the risk of crop pests entering the United States through imported avocados and about how inspection processes are carried out.”

“When you walk into a store today, you’re going to see a lot of the PLUs, which are the labels that are on the avocados, and they’re going to reflect they came from a foreign source,” said Robert Jackson or Jackson Ranch. “The interesting thing about procuring sourcing California avocados is that we are being pushed imported avocado products.”

“They’re using dollar and value obviously as the impetus to sell us imported avocados because they’re cheaper. They’re lower quality, which is what chefs know. They’re stringier. They’re not as creamy. They’re not as good. But they’re pushing that onto the market,” Chef Gruel said. “I have to go and seek California avocados even though I know that California avocados are better.”

“We want our elected officials to make California farmers their priority,” Robert Jackson said.

The video features celebrity chef and restaurant owner Andrew Gruel; Jayme Franklin, founder and CEO of The Conservateur; Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif.; and California avocado farmers Rachael Laenen of Kimball Ranches, Andy Sheaffer of Vista Punta Gorda, Robert Jackson of Jackson Ranch, John Haskett of Lucky Charm Farms, and Maureen Cottingham of CamLam Farms.

Buy fruit and vegetables grown in California – look for the signs indicating if produce is imported or grown in the state.

And look at the PLU codes (Price Look-Up codes), the 4-or 5-digit numbers on small stickers attached to individual pieces of fresh produce, and some related items like nuts or herbs in grocery stores.

Four-digit PLU codes are some of the most common and signifies that a particular fruit or vegetable was grown conventionally rather than organically.

Five-digit PLU codes indicate that the particular fruit or vegetable has been grown organically. This will appear as a “9” prefix plus the 3000 or 4000 series number. For example, the PLU code for conventional large Hass avocados is 4225, while the PLU code is 94225 for an organic large Hass avocado, notes California Avocados.