Not feeling too good myself

I found this graphic on this Web site, www.pollingreport.com. With today's 300 plus point drop in the Dow, it seems we should be close to the bottom. It's always darkest just before the dawn, right? In any case, I think I will add this consumer confidence Web site to the "government and market links" at the side of the blog. We can go there to alternately feel optimistic or gloomy about the state of the nation.

No worries

The Federal Register published this ominous notice yesterday:

ACTION: Notice of termination of suspension agreement, termination of five-year sunset review, and resumption of antidumping investigation: Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico. EFFECTIVE DATE: January 18, 2008.
SUMMARY: On November 26, 2007, Mexican tomato growers/exporters accounting for a significant percentage of all fresh tomatoes imported into the United States from Mexico provided written notice to the Department of Commerce of their withdrawal from the
agreement suspending the antidumping investigation on fresh tomatoes from Mexico. Because the suspension agreement will no longer cover all imports of fresh tomatoes from Mexico once this withdrawal becomes effective, the Department of Commerce is terminating the suspension agreement, terminating the sunset review of the suspended investigation, and resuming the antidumping investigation.

TK: In reality, industry sources say there will be no dumping investigation. A new suspension agreement is expected to be in place later this month.

No good deed ....

Here is the link to a story from The New York Times about a NYC program to provide more vendors of fresh produce in low income areas. Who could argue with that? Read on:

In the No Good Deed Goes Unpunished category, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg came up with a plan to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income New Yorkers, and he got hit with rotten tomatoes from city street vendors.

The mayor’s plan — to provide an extra 1,500 cart permits for vendors willing to sell produce in neighborhoods underserved by grocery stores — has been widely hailed by public health advocates. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says it will make it easier for an estimated 100,000 residents to buy vegetables. But today a few dozen street vendors held a demonstration at City Hall, with the group saying that the proposal neglects to help the people on the other side of the food cart. Rafael Samanez, the director of the advocacy group Vamos Unidos, said an extra 1,500 cart permits, under the city’s proposed Green Cart legislation, is far too low for the demand of street vendors. “The city has failed to meet the needs of thousands of low-income workers,” he said.

Later...

Mr. Samanez’s group said there is a current waiting list of 2,500 people seeking cart permits and estimates another 9,000 vendors are operating without permits. The group said the city has maintained the current limit, of 3,000 food carts and 853 merchandise carts, since 1979.

TK: The Green Cart legislation sounds like a win-win for vendors and NYC residents, notwithstanding the pent up demand for vendor permits to sell hot dogs, pretzels and more. It would be fascinating, in time, to see how individual vendors differentiate themselves and uniquely cater to customers.

FV meeting reset

Big Apple notes this notice in the Federal Register, the rescheduled f/v industry advisory committee meeting: From today's FR:

DATES: Thursday, February 7, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, February 8, 2008, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The Committee meeting will be held at the Capital Hilton, 1001 16th Street, NW., Washington, DC.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. App. II), the Secretary of Agriculture established the Committee in August 2001 to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and to provide suggestions and ideas to the Secretary on how USDA can tailor its programs to meet the fruit and vegetable industry's needs. The Committee was re- chartered in July 2003, June 2005 and again in May 2007 with new members appointed by USDA from industry nominations. AMS Deputy Administrator for Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Robert C. Keeney, serves as the Committee's Executive Secretary. Representatives from USDA mission areas and other government agencies affecting the fruit and vegetable industry will be called upon to participate in the Committee's meetings as determined by the Committee Chairperson. AMS is giving notice of the Committee meeting to the public so that they may attend and present their recommendations. Reference the date and address section of this announcement for the time and place of the meeting. Topics of discussion at the advisory committee meeting will include: the Agricultural Marketing Service's role in food safety related activities; the Food and Drug Administration's import food safety plan; fresh produce procurement activities under the National School Lunch Program; Country of Origin Labeling; and agriculture transportation matters. Additional agenda items can be expected.

Burger King as Scrooge

Burger King is getting lambasted in the media over what it wrote to suppliers Dec. 18, and more significantly, that it has refused to bow to an economic demand from a farm worker advocacy group in Florida. Here is the letter in question and further background below:

December 18, 2007
Burger King Corporation
Approved Tomato Suppliers

Dear Sirs or Madam: In an effort to protect the BKC brand and supply system from disruption, we are developing contingency plans to assure our long term supply of tomatoes. As such, we are asking each of our currently approved suppliers to develop and submit to us contingency plans for the possibility that we would choose not to purchase tomatoes grown on farms in the Immokalee, Florida region. So as not to create any short term supply disruptions, the contingency plans should be for phased implementation beginning with the 2008-09 winter growing season. We are asking for your assistance and input in the development of this contingency plan. The plan should include timing, cost implications, and the identification of alternate supplies and growing regions that may need to be approved. This plan is being developed jointly by BKC and RSI as part of our ongoing efforts to protect the BURGER KING® brand and assure uninterrupted supply of tomatoes to our system over the long term. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
BURGER KING CORPORATION
Steven F. Grover Vice President Food Safety, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance


TK: The Packer's Doug Ohlemeier is developing coverage on this issue for the upcoming edition, so stay tuned. Here is a sampling of opinion pieces:

Burger King as Scrooge

Penny pinchers won't let tomato pickers have it their way


A news angle:

Burger King may stop buying Florida tomatoes


TK: A letter to the editor that ran in The Packer Dec. 10 of last year reveals more context to the issue. Here is the letter:

Florida farmworker group's agenda questioned

During the last two weeks or so, the media across the country has been bombarded with a barrage of propaganda by the Coalition of Immokalee (Fla.) Workers (CIW) about the scheme to force several national chains to pay a penny per pound more for Florida tomatoes.

In all fairness, I must disclose my affiliation with Florida winter vegetable growers for some 40 years. At the present time I represent Florida Farmers Inc., an advocacy group of growers in Florida.

I have also been a farmworker advocate for some 30 years. I was an ally and adviser to former Gov. Jeb Bush. It was November 1998, a couple of days after he was elected to his first term, that he called me and asked me to go to Immokalee, and see if I could help the farmworkers in their request for a piece rate increase.

I called on all growers in the area and asked them to help. When I left, every grower except one large grower agreed to raise their piece rate by five cents per bucket.

At that time that resulted in an increase in wages of about 13%. I went back to Ft. Lauderdale to my office and informed governor-elect Bush of what I thought was a major accomplishment.

The very same week the leaders of the CIW, mainly Lucas Benitez and Greg Asbed began to attack me and the growers because we had not included them in the negotiations. It was at that time that I began to suspect that this group wanted to position themselves into a labor union. After almost 10 years I am still convinced that that is exactly what they want, a labor union.

I went on to help Gov. Bush bring over $150 million in new housing to Florida for farmworkers. We helped pass legislation to help farmworker safety and provide education funds for migrant children. We distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in Christmas gifts for migrant children.

Not once has the CIW acknowledged former Gov. Bush for his extraordinary efforts on behalf of farmworkers or their children. The CIW has continued to attack the growers and me personally for refusing to recognize the CIW.

More recently they have resorted to extortion of the fast-food chains. Who is to say that they are passing on the penny per pound to the workers? Personally, I seriously doubt it.

J. Luis Rodriguez

Florida Farmers Inc.

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

TK: Here is a link to the group' s IRS 990 form. A modest sized organization from a financial perspective (revenue of $746,000 in 2005), here is how they described their program accomplishments:

Community Education Services: Held weekly meetings to discuss labor and community issues with an average attendance of 50 people, produced street theatre and art addressing community issues, conducted extensive media outreach, held meetings in labor camps, and distributed dozens of copies of labor rights booklets. Hosted and attended public meetings locally,state-wide, and nationally to raise awareness of farm worker issues and our campaign
for living wages. Organized community festivals to focus attention on farm worker issues.

Leadership Development: Held twelve 1-5 day training sessions covering topics from theatre production to planning techniques for community meetings and community action campaign with nearly 50 members in attendance.

Labor Rights Action: Collaborated with federal authorities on a couple major modern day slavery cases, assisting primarily with investigation and victim assistance.

Community Organization: Operated a food cooperative providing items such as rice, beans, and tortilla flour at wholesale prices servicing about 200 people daily. Community mobilization around farm worker issues, including low wages, labor relations, and other working conditions.

TK: CIW has effectively leveraged media sympathies in their efforts for "community action." Burger King faces an uphill PR battle but if I owned stock in BK, I would not be displeased with their letter to suppliers.