We're Bad, We're Nationwide

Congratulations, gang. We've hit the big time.

No, I don't have the gatekeeper's key that unlocks the answer to the cause of the dreaded outbreak. Through the ineptitude of the government agencies, they have put us produce folks front & center on the national news like never before. Thanks, guys. We'll try to remember to return the favor when this all gets straightened out.

Lead story on Katie Couric tonight! She's a hard-hitting one, that gal. The FDA was in the crosshairs in this story, with self-serving members of Congress railing against the bonuses FDA employees receive for doing a substandard job. I take no pleasure in having reported that in this blog previously. Well, maybe a little.

But the slant was just scary enough to maybe steer a few more folks away from tomatoes that had been slowly, cautiously returning to the fold, like a little trembling squirrel coming back to the nest for another one of those nuts that are so tasty, but it risks being eaten whole by a big, bad wolf lurking nearby.

I couldn't catch what, if anything, was on NBC Nightly News because our three televisions are in three different rooms & it was getting much too complicated & time-sensitive for me to whip out the VCR manual. But, twenty minutes into the ABC newscast, ol' pal Charlie Gibson introduced a story highlighting fields in Arvin, CA being disked under for lack of demand. Gonzales Packing principal Melanie Horwath was interviewed, and she was everything that the government & association bureaucrats haven't been up till now---honest, direct, and non-political. Dang fine TV. Watch it if you can find it on YouTube.

Great job, Mel. I liked you 20 years ago when I visited you & husband Tim while you were concurrently raising kids & running a packingshed--the ultimate multitask--and I really like you now. Thanks for communicating.

Later,

Jay

Vegetable Acreage - Pull back

It seems as if the economy - this year or previously - has slowed down planting of vegetables. What's more, local/regional production of some items has cut California lettuce acreage. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service report on Vegetables was released today. Find it here.

Here are some select highlights:

The prospective area for harvest of 11 selected fresh market vegetables during the summer quarter is forecast to be 282,400 acres, down 6 percent from last year. Acreage declines in snap beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet corn, head lettuce, and tomatoes more than offset acreage increases in carrots and celery. Cucumbers and bell peppers harvested area remains unchanged. Area forecast for melon harvest is 109,900 acres, down 8 percent from last year. Cantaloup area is forecast at 34,000 acres, 7 percent below 2007. Honeydew area, at 13,000 acres, is down 6 percent from last year. Watermelon area, at 62,900 acres, is 9 percent below a year ago.

Strawberry production in the U.S. is forecast at 24.4 million cwt, virtually unchanged from last year. Area harvested, at 46,600 acres, up 2 percent from 2007. Strawberry yield is forecast at 523 cwt per acre, down 12 cwt from 2007.


Onion growers expect to harvest 148,750 acres of onions in 2008, down 7 percent from last year. Spring onion growers harvested 29,000 acres, down 6 percent from last season. Summer, non-storage onion growers expect to harvest 19,600 acres, down 5 percent from a year ago. Storage onion growers plan to harvest 100,150 acres in 2008, down 7 percent from last season.

TK: The local or home grown deals have had their impact the USDA says: And water is a concern in California.

Head Lettuce: California's area for summer harvest is forecast at 40,000 acres, down 7 percent from last year. Planted acreage is down due to strong competition from regional growing areas. However, adverse weather conditions in the Midwest have shifted more demand to California.



Tomatoes: Fresh market area for summer harvest is forecast at 35,800 acres, down 6 percent from last year. In California, water shortages are a major concern. Early tomatoes have suffered wind damaged on the crown set in many fields. Michigan growers began transplanting throughout May. Early planted tomatoes progressed well by the end of May despite dry soil. Stakes were put in fields during the first week of June. Early plantings began to bloom and set fruit by mid-June. In New Jersey, cold overnight temperatures during May stalled tomato growth. Hot and humid weather by mid-June benefitted plant development.

Anger and angst

Visiting with a tomato repacker today about a number of topics, including the trade press, association leadership, FDA bungling, blogs, the market and more. Some of his observations:

* On demand: "One day it looks like it is coming back a little bit, and then you get some press and people pull back. I don't think the consumer is confident, even though all the tomatoes in the market are from areas that weren't in production at the time of the first cases from the outbreak...
* On FDA guidance: "the first thing that consumers see in the FDA advice is ..be careful for round and roma tomatoes..
* On why the guidance hasn't changed: "They are trying to cover their ***. Should have been able to pinpoint it if they traced back through the distribution chain at the very beginning when it was isolated, they would have been able to find the source if it was tomatoes."
* On the extent of the outbreak: "There is no packer, repacker or grower that has the kind of distribution you need to have this kind of outbreak, from Maine to Washington state, from Florida to California..you can't get this kind of coverage from anybody...
* On the mystery of source; "for an uneducated layman it appears to be a processed product that gets shipped and is used in foodservice; I would guess a fresh salsa product..everyone says it can't be on tortilla or chips because both are cooked but I'm beginning to wonder..."

Dakota tomato deal at risk

One of the ridiculous moments during the FDA/CDC call was when a reporter asked about the five states or so that aren't on the "approved" list of shipping regions for tomatoes. Obviously, the media sensed a story here - South Dakota wasn't on the list, and thus, what's up? Is the South Dakota tomato deal the epicenter of this whole outbreak? Have investigators combed the many thousands of acres of tomatoes grown in the Dakotas and found the dreaded Salmonella Saintpaul?

I think it was one of the media questions that prompted, "Would you like to handle this one, (insert name at the other agency)?"

Authorities explained that no one in South Dakota or the four other states bothered to ask FDA to put them on the "cleared" list, likely because they don't have commercial production of tomatoes.

In any case, I hope this experience with tomatoes has disabused the FDA of the notion that such meandering and confusing advice such as they have delivered for tomatoes in the last month is good public policy.

They should lift the consumer advisory on tomatoes now - or else South Dakota tomato growers will pay a heavy price.