THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
A 16-year-old food fight over Mexican grown tomatoes appears at an end, at least for now, under an agreement reached between U.S. and Mexican officials that sets minimum prices for produce making its way north. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said the agreement, which was reached over the weekend, will allow Florida growers to better compete with their Mexican competitors as long as the agreement is upheld by both sides. “I am pleased the American tomato farmers’ concerns have been substantially addressed by this new agreement,” Putnam said. “Trade agreements are only as good as the willingness to enforce them and, when they go unenforced, the American worker loses out.” The tentative agreement kicks in March 4 following a public comment period that ends Feb. 11. Florida growers filed a petition in 1996 accusing Mexican growers of dumping cheap tomatoes on the U.S. market. A 2008 suspension agreement didn’t work, Putnam said. Over the summer, the Florida Tomato Exchange urged the Department of Commerce to reach an accord. The agreement sets minimum prices for summer and winter varieties as well as those grown in open fields and greenhouses.