Group says tomato prices could rise if pact ends
Trade association says "tomato cliff" will happen if import agreement with Mexico is ended
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- An Arizona-based trade association is warning of a "tomato cliff" if the U.S. Department of Commerce terminates a fresh tomato importation trade agreement with Mexico at the request of Florida tomato growers.
The Fresh Produce Association of Americas, based in Nogales, Az., held a conference call with reporters on Thursday. The group sponsored a pricing study that said if Mexican tomatoes are forced to withdraw from the U.S. market, then prices for some hothouse tomatoes would double from $2.50 a pound to nearly $5 a pound.
Florida produces much of the nation's winter tomatoes.
Florida growers have complained that their Mexican counterparts have been taking advantage of the Tomato Suspension Agreement to "dump" their product in the U.S.
