Green gold

Calavo just announced some apparently spectacular results in this quarterly update. Revenues were reported up more than 20% and profits over 60%. While Calavo and every other major Cali avocado handler is involved in Mexico, it will nevertheless be compelling to see the price impact of the opening of the California market to Mexican hass fruit on Feb. 1.


From the Nov. 30, 2004 APHIS final rule:

Between January 31, 2005 and January 31, 2007, the avocados may be imported into and distributed in all Sates except California, Florida, and Hawaii. After January 31, 2007, the avocados may be imported into and distributed in all States.

The local angle

This is a great example of how the national push to have a more inclusive farm bill is resonating on the local level. In this case, the Hendersonville, N.C., paper is talking to western North Carolina growers about the efforts to educate Congress.

Jennie Jones Giles, the reporter, quoted a local apple grower:
"This is the first year Congress is making a genuine effort to balance the program for specialty crops," said Kenny Barnwell, president of the N.C. Apple Growers Association.



Kenny, we may have to wait a few months before we can say they have made a "genuine effort."


Here is local coverage of the same issue from the New York perspective.

The day after

Coverage of the FDA's announcement that prepackaged lettuce from California was linked to an E. coli foodborne illness outbreak at Taco John's restaurants received this play in The LA Times. FDA officials have stepped up their concern about California growing regions, with the Taco Bell and Taco John's E. coli representing the 21st and 22nd E. coli outbreaks since 1995, with about half linked to the Salinas Valley.
"It just adds more fuel to the fire of the need to address this," FDA medical officer David Acheson was quoted in the article. The same report describes the industry's effort to form a marketing agreement to do that very thing.
A hearing in Monterey on Friday was the venue where grower representatives proposed the state-issued seal of approval for leafy greens grown and processed under certain standards, which are still in development. Here is a link to more coverage of the hearing from the San Jose Mercury, and here is the document that growers were considering.


Critics quoted in these stories - a Democrat state lawmaker and a spokewoman for the Center for Science in the Public Interest - already say a mandatory fix is needed. Even more than that, I am concerned about a change in FDA's tone, which has become more strident. Another piece of evidence of a link between California fields and an E. coli outbreak - despite the industry's concerted efforts to address the issue - likely increase the odds of regulation that goes beyond the industry-led marketing agreement.