{"id":7040340,"date":"2026-08-17T05:16:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T05:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/agriculture\/competing-across-the-calendar-the-growing-squeeze-on-u-s-produce-farm-bureau-intel-markets\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T05:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T05:16:01","slug":"competing-across-the-calendar-the-growing-squeeze-on-u-s-produce-farm-bureau-intel-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=7040340","title":{"rendered":"Competing Across the Calendar: The Growing Squeeze on U.S. Produce | Farm Bureau Intel Markets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/css\/glightbox.min.css\"\/>\n<div id=\"loop0\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"voa-ul\">\n<li class=\"voa-li\">Labor,      input and regulatory expenses have climbed sharply, making it harder for      domestic produce growers to recover costs, invest in their operations, and      keep up with consumer demand. Since 2010, U.S. fruit production has      declined 32% and vegetable production has fallen 10%, while fresh fruit      and vegetable imports have each increased about 70%. <\/li>\n<li class=\"voa-li\">Foreign      supply still fills important seasonal gaps and supports year-round      consumer demand, but imports are arriving in greater volumes during active      domestic seasons, adding lower-cost competition when growers must market      highly perishable crops. <\/li>\n<li class=\"voa-li\">Import      pressure extends across a range of fresh produce markets. The pattern      varies by commodity, from higher year-round import volumes for lettuce and      cabbage to sharper overlap during important blueberry, strawberry and      tomato harvest windows. Together, these examples show that growing      competition is not confined to a single crop, region or season.<\/li>\n<li class=\"voa-li\">Growing      dependence on foreign production can create food security risks. As      U.S. production declines, more of the nation\u2019s fresh produce supply      becomes exposed to political instability, extreme weather, food-safety      disruptions and regulatory decisions governed by other countries. Trade      will remain essential, but a resilient food system requires U.S. farmers      to be able to profitably grow fruits and vegetables here at home. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Fresh produce markets run on strict timing. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable, harvest windows are often short, and growers generally cannot store a crop while waiting for prices to improve. A few weeks of excess supply can determine whether a season ends in profit or loss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Imports are an essential part of this system. They fill seasonal production gaps, support year-round consumer demand, and strengthen integrated supply chains. Yet the rapid growth of foreign supply, and its increasing overlap with active U.S. harvest periods, has created legitimate concerns about downward price pressure during the narrow windows when domestic growers must sell their crops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Those pressures are particularly difficult for U.S. growers facing rising labor, regulatory, input and compliance costs that are often difficult to pass on to buyers. These competitive challenges do not diminish the broader value of agricultural trade. Rather, it highlights the need for a trade environment that preserves reliable consumer access while ensuring U.S. growers have a viable opportunity to compete.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Rising Costs, Falling Production and Greater Import Reliance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">U.S. fruit and vegetable growers face an increasingly difficult cost environment. Many crops require extensive hand labor, specialized equipment and substantial spending on food safety, water quality, pest management and environmental compliance. A <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.calpoly.edu\/agb_fac\/163\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cal Poly study<\/a> of Salinas Valley lettuce operations found compliance costs rose from $109 per acre in 2006 to more than $1,600 per acre, increasing from about 1% to over 12% of total production costs. An <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.oregonstate.edu\/catalog\/em-9682-cost-regulatory-compliance-oregon-tree-fruit-industry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oregon State University study<\/a> similarly estimated regulatory compliance costs of roughly $250 to $700 per acre across four cherry and pear operations, driven by H-2A requirements, worker safety and training, pesticide rules and worker housing.\u00a0Those domestic cost pressures are compounded by significant differences in production costs abroad.\u00a0An earlier <a href=\"https:\/\/ask.ifas.ufl.edu\/publication\/FE1023?utm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Florida comparison<\/a>, using 2013\/14\u20132014\/15 data, found labor costs averaged $2.81 for each eight-pound flat of Florida strawberries, compared with $1.27 for the same quantity exported from central Mexico, roughly 35 cents versus 16 cents per pound. Perishability, limited price transparency, and the lack of futures markets leave growers with few tools to absorb these added costs or manage sudden price declines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Broader production expenses have also climbed sharply. Between 2020 and 2025, pesticide costs increased 25%, fuel rose 31%, fertilizer climbed 37%, and labor costs increased nearly 50%. Specialty crop farms averaged more than $466,000 in cash expenses in 2023, up 47% in two years, with labor accounting for nearly 40% of total costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">As those pressures have constrained domestic production, imports have filled a growing share of U.S. supply. USDA estimates imports supplied 59% of U.S. fresh fruit availability and 35% of fresh vegetable availability in 2023, up from 50% and 20%, respectively, in 2007. Put differently, domestic sources accounted for about 41% of fresh fruit and 65% of fresh vegetables available to U.S. consumers. Between 2010 and 2024, fresh fruit and vegetable imports each increased by roughly 70%, while U.S. fruit production declined 32% and vegetable production fell 10%. Imports are not the sole cause of those declines, but they are increasingly filling the gap as the domestic sector struggles to meet demand. The U.S. population grew about 10% over that same period, meaning population growth explains some of the increase in overall demand, but is far smaller than the increase in import volumes.  High labor, regulatory compliance and input costs make it harder for U.S. growers to expand production, recover costs and remain competitive, reinforcing the shift toward greater reliance on foreign supply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig1.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig1.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop2\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Seasonality: Filling Gaps and Extending Windows<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Import growth can mean different things depending on when a product arrives. Rising consumer demand for year-round fresh produce has encouraged investment in growing regions with seasons that complement U.S. production. Berry imports rise during winter when domestic supplies are more limited, orange imports peak as U.S. production declines in summer and fall, and pineapple imports remain relatively steady because domestic production is minimal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig2.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig2.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 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11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop4\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">These trade flows give consumers access to products that were once available only seasonally and help retailers maintain consistent supplies throughout the year. Pressure on U.S. growers increases, however, when imports arrive earlier, remain later or grow during active domestic harvests. For highly perishable crops, even a short period of added supply can affect prices during the narrow window when growers must sell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">This expanding overlap, sometimes called market window creep, varies considerably by crop. The following examples range from imports that primarily fill domestic supply gaps to those that have become a larger presence during important U.S. harvest periods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Watermelon: A Longer Import Season<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Watermelon offers a useful starting point because imports remain largely complementary to domestic production, but the edges of the import window have expanded. U.S. production runs from spring through early fall and typically peaks around July, led by Florida, Georgia, California and Texas. In 2024, domestic growers produced 1.68 million metric tons, while imports accounted for about 35% of U.S. supply and helped maintain availability before and after the main domestic season. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">That said, average annual imports increased over 50%, from 533,000 metric tons in 2010\u20132014 to 802,000 metric tons in 2020\u20132025. Growth during the traditional April\u2013May import peak was comparatively modest at 11%. However, June\u2013July imports increased 67%, while October\u2013December volumes nearly doubled. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">The pattern suggests imports continue to serve their traditional role of filling seasonal gaps and meeting year-round demand, while also extending further into the shoulders of the U.S. season. For domestic growers, that means fewer months with limited import competition, including rising volumes as summer production is still moving through the market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig3.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig3.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop6\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Lettuce: Import Growth Across a Year-Round Market<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Unlike crops with a clear domestic off-season, U.S. lettuce production continues throughout the year by shifting between California\u2019s coastal regions and the desert growing areas of California and Arizona. Those two states account for nearly all domestic output, allowing retailers to source U.S.-grown lettuce in every season.  Domestic production accounts for most of the market, with USDA estimating U.S. growers supplied 85% of lettuce available to U.S. consumers in 2022. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Even so, average annual lettuce imports more than doubled, rising from about 172,000 metric tons in 2010\u20132014 to 385,000 metric tons in 2020\u20132025. Imports increased every month, with the largest gains concentrated during late fall, winter and early spring while U.S. domestic production remained flat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Some of that growth helps buyers manage weather disruptions and transitions between U.S. growing regions. But with no true domestic off-season, rising imports also mean more consistent foreign competition across the production calendar. For growers already facing high labor, water and food-safety compliance costs, that added supply can make it harder to recover expenses during periods of otherwise adequate domestic production.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig4.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig4.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop8\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Cabbage: Higher Imports Throughout the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Cabbage is produced across several U.S. regions, with winter and spring supplies coming largely from Florida, Texas and California and later-season production shifting to northern states such as New York, Michigan and Wisconsin. That regional rotation gives the domestic market supply across much of the year.  Yet domestic production has shown little growth, with U.S. cabbage output 11% lower in 2024 than in 2010. At the same time, USDA-based estimates show imports grew from about 4% of U.S. cabbage availability in 2000\u20132002 to 12% in 2017\u20132019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">That growing import presence has continued. Average annual imports have nearly doubled, increasing from about 68,000 metric tons in 2010\u20132014 to 130,000 metric tons in 2020\u20132025. Imports rose every month, with the largest volumes still concentrated from July through October. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Unlike crops where imports have clearly pushed into a new season, cabbage\u2019s basic seasonal pattern has remained similar. The more notable change is that the entire import baseline has moved higher. Imports now provide more supply during both southern winter production and northern summer and fall harvests, creating more persistent competition across the domestic production calendar rather than a single period of concentrated overlap.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig5.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig5.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop10\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Blueberries: Imports Expand at Both Ends of the U.S. Season<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Blueberries illustrate how trade can expand consumer access while exposing U.S. growers to lower-cost competition that can undercut domestic prices and margins during critical marketing windows. Growing supplies from Peru, Mexico and Chile have extended the retail season as consumer demand has increased. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Average annual imports have nearly tripled, rising from 94,000 metric tons in 2010\u20132014 to 278,000 metric tons in 2020\u20132025. The sharpest gains occurred at the edges of the U.S. season. Average March imports more than tripled, April imports increased more than sevenfold, and October imports rose more than eightfold. Altogether, March\u2013May imports increased 348%, while September\u2013October volumes increased 576%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Imports remain comparatively low during the core summer harvest. The greater change is that foreign supply now reaches much further into the early- and late-season windows when domestic growers often rely on stronger fresh-market prices to recover their costs. Despite rising domestic U.S. production of blueberries, imports have captured a growing share of the expanding market, increasing from 44% of domestic availability in 2005 to nearly 60% by 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig6.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig6.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop12\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Strawberries: Winter Imports Intensify Competition During Florida\u2019s Season<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Strawberries are produced primarily in California and Florida, but consumers expect them year-round. Imports, mostly from Mexico, help maintain winter availability when California volumes are lower. That same timing, however, overlaps directly with Florida\u2019s November\u2013March season and the beginning of California\u2019s spring harvest, exposing domestic growers to lower-cost competition when they are trying to recover some of agriculture\u2019s highest labor, packaging and compliance costs. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">U.S. strawberry production has remained relatively flat in recent years, while imports have continued to expand. Average annual imports have increased 85%, from about 134,000 metric tons in 2010\u20132014 to 249,000 metric tons in 2020\u20132025. The growth was concentrated in winter: November\u2013March imports more than doubled, rising from roughly 84,000 to 180,000 metric tons. November volume nearly tripled, December imports rose about 175%, and January and February each more than doubled. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Imports still fall sharply during the summer, so the pattern is not year-round displacement. The pressure is concentrated in a commercially important window, with imports at their highest precisely when Florida growers are harvesting and California production is building. Over time, that growth has also increased the imported share of the U.S. strawberry market: USDA-based estimates put imports at about 18% of domestic availability in 2017\u20132019, up from roughly 6% in 2000\u20132002. This increases the risk that strong consumer demand does not translate into prices sufficient to cover domestic costs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig7.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig7.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 77.9961 11.6039 77.9902 11.5715C77.9853 11.5489 77.9784 11.5282 77.9705 11.5076C77.9676 11.4978 77.9656 11.4869 77.9617 11.4781C77.9518 11.4555 77.9391 11.4339 77.9273 11.4132C77.9233 11.4063 77.9204 11.3985 77.9155 11.3916C77.8968 11.3641 77.8762 11.3385 77.8526 11.3149L75.6815 9.14385C75.4849 8.94728 75.1665 8.94728 74.9699 9.14385C74.7733 9.34042 74.7733 9.65886 74.9699 9.85542L76.282 11.1675H72.103C71.8249 11.1675 71.5998 11.3926 71.5998 11.6707C71.5998 11.9489 71.8249 12.1739 72.103 12.1739H76.282L74.9728 13.4831C74.7763 13.6796 74.7763 13.9981 74.9728 14.1946C75.0711 14.2929 75.1999 14.3421 75.3286 14.3421C75.4574 14.3421 75.5861 14.2929 75.6844 14.1946L77.8516 12.0275C77.8752 12.0039 77.8958 11.9783 77.9145 11.9508L77.9155 11.9499ZM64.1281 12.17H68.3071C68.5852 12.17 68.8103 11.9449 68.8103 11.6668C68.8103 11.3887 68.5852 11.1636 68.3071 11.1636H64.1291L65.4383 9.85445C65.6348 9.65788 65.6348 9.33943 65.4383 9.14288C65.2417 8.94632 64.9233 8.94631 64.7267 9.14288L62.5595 11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop14\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Tomatoes: Imports Expand into the U.S. Summer Harvest<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Fresh tomatoes are a year-round market, with Florida supplying much of the fall-through-spring crop, and California leading domestic shipments during summer. Mexico provides the overwhelming majority of U.S. fresh tomato imports, helping retailers maintain consistent supply across seasons.  But as imports have grown, they have also expanded into what was once a pronounced summer trough in foreign supply. At the same time, U.S. fresh tomato production fell 24% between 2010 and 2024, and USDA estimates U.S. growers\u2019 share of total fresh-tomato supply had fallen to 42% by 2017.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Average annual imports increased 31%, from about 1.37 million metric tons in 2010\u20132014 to 1.79 million metric tons in 2020\u20132024. Growth was much sharper during the domestic summer window: June\u2013October imports rose 64%, while July\u2013September volumes increased 77%. August and September imports each climbed about 85%, directly increasing competition during California\u2019s primary season. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">In July 2025, the Commerce Department ended the Tomato Suspension Agreement and imposed a 17.09% antidumping duty on most Mexican fresh tomatoes. Imports declined afterward: January\u2013May 2026 shipments totaled about 748,000 metric tons, down 13% from the same period in 2025 and 13% below the 2022\u20132025 average. Every month was lower than a year earlier, including declines of 15% in January, 21% in February and 18% in May. While other market and production factors may also be involved, the change is consistent with a targeted trade remedy affecting shipment patterns. It also shows that specific pricing concerns can be addressed without treating the broader agricultural trade relationship as the problem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\"><!-- margin --><\/p>\n<div class=\" w-full\"><!-- width wrap --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative w-full lg:w-full m-auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/FreshProduce_Fig8.png\" class=\"glightbox\" id=\"expandparent\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/imgz\/Analysis\/MarketIntel\/_w900\/FreshProduce_Fig8.png\" class=\"mx-auto\"\/><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"expandchild\" class=\"absolute top-0 left-0\" width=\"85\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 85 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M0 0H84.5V24.1429H0V0Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><path d=\"M67.6801 6.90387C67.4835 6.7073 67.4835 6.38886 67.6801 6.1923L69.8512 4.0212C69.8748 3.99762 69.9003 3.97698 69.9278 3.9583C69.9406 3.94946 69.9544 3.94356 69.9672 3.93668C69.9829 3.92783 69.9976 3.91899 70.0143 3.91211C70.031 3.90523 70.0487 3.9013 70.0654 3.89638C70.0792 3.89245 70.093 3.88655 70.1077 3.88361C70.1726 3.87083 70.2394 3.87083 70.3052 3.88361C70.32 3.88655 70.3338 3.89245 70.3475 3.89638C70.3652 3.9013 70.3829 3.90523 70.3996 3.91211C70.4163 3.91899 70.4311 3.92783 70.4468 3.93668C70.4596 3.94356 70.4733 3.94946 70.4861 3.9583C70.5136 3.97698 70.5392 3.99762 70.5628 4.0212L72.7299 6.18838C72.9265 6.38494 72.9265 6.70339 72.7299 6.89995C72.5334 7.0965 72.2149 7.09652 72.0184 6.89995L70.7092 5.59081V9.76976C70.7092 10.0479 70.4841 10.273 70.206 10.273C69.9279 10.273 69.7028 10.0479 69.7028 9.76976L69.7047 5.59181L68.3927 6.9039C68.2944 7.00218 68.1656 7.05133 68.0369 7.05133C67.9081 7.05133 67.7794 7.00218 67.6811 6.9039L67.6801 6.90387ZM72.0193 16.4335L70.7072 17.7456V13.5666C70.7072 13.2885 70.4821 13.0634 70.204 13.0634C69.9259 13.0634 69.7008 13.2885 69.7008 13.5666V17.7456L68.3916 16.4365C68.1951 16.2399 67.8766 16.2399 67.6801 16.4365C67.4835 16.633 67.4835 16.9515 67.6801 17.148L69.8472 19.3152C69.8708 19.3388 69.8964 19.3594 69.9239 19.3781C69.9367 19.386 69.9495 19.3919 69.9632 19.3997C69.979 19.4086 69.9947 19.4174 70.0114 19.4253C70.0281 19.4322 70.0448 19.4361 70.0625 19.441C70.0772 19.4449 70.091 19.4508 70.1057 19.4538C70.1382 19.4607 70.1716 19.4636 70.204 19.4636C70.2374 19.4636 70.2699 19.4597 70.3023 19.4538C70.317 19.4508 70.3308 19.4449 70.3456 19.441C70.3623 19.4361 70.38 19.4322 70.3967 19.4253C70.4134 19.4184 70.4281 19.4086 70.4448 19.3997C70.4576 19.3928 70.4714 19.3869 70.4841 19.3781C70.5117 19.3594 70.5382 19.3388 70.5608 19.3152L72.7319 17.1441C72.9285 16.9475 72.9285 16.6291 72.7319 16.4325C72.5353 16.236 72.2169 16.236 72.0203 16.4325L72.0193 16.4335ZM77.9155 11.9499C77.9204 11.943 77.9224 11.9351 77.9273 11.9282C77.94 11.9076 77.9528 11.886 77.9617 11.8634C77.9656 11.8535 77.9676 11.8437 77.9705 11.8339C77.9774 11.8132 77.9853 11.7916 77.9902 11.77C77.9971 11.7376 78 11.7042 78 11.6707C78 11.6373 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11.3101C62.5359 11.3336 62.5153 11.3592 62.4966 11.3867C62.4917 11.3936 62.4898 11.4015 62.4848 11.4083C62.4721 11.429 62.4593 11.4506 62.4504 11.4732C62.4465 11.483 62.4445 11.4929 62.4416 11.5027C62.4347 11.5233 62.4269 11.545 62.4219 11.5666C62.4151 11.599 62.4121 11.6324 62.4121 11.6658C62.4121 11.6993 62.416 11.7327 62.4219 11.7651C62.4269 11.7877 62.4337 11.8084 62.4416 11.829C62.4445 11.8388 62.4465 11.8496 62.4504 11.8585C62.4603 11.8811 62.473 11.9027 62.4848 11.9233C62.4888 11.9302 62.4917 11.9381 62.4966 11.945C62.5153 11.9725 62.5359 11.998 62.5595 12.0216L64.7306 14.1927C64.8289 14.291 64.9577 14.3402 65.0864 14.3402C65.2152 14.3402 65.3439 14.291 65.4422 14.1927C65.6388 13.9962 65.6388 13.6777 65.4422 13.4812L64.1301 12.1691L64.1281 12.17Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M14.5178 15.8906V14.4928H10.3901V11.8421H14.5178V10.4442H10.3901V8.05725H14.5178V6.65938H8.75488V15.8906H14.5178Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M22.4709 9.09906H20.506L19.029 11.2486L17.5784 9.09906H15.5475L17.974 12.4619L15.3497 15.8906H17.3542L18.8971 13.6488L20.4137 15.8906H22.4577L19.9389 12.4487L22.4709 9.09906Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M23.562 9.09906V19.1875H25.1577V15.2049C25.6852 15.7851 26.4896 16.0489 27.2017 16.0489C29.1403 16.0489 30.4854 14.3741 30.4854 12.5146C30.4854 10.5233 29.0875 8.94081 27.2281 8.94081C26.4764 8.94081 25.5797 9.24413 25.1049 9.96944L25.0126 9.09906H23.562ZM25.1577 11.3937C25.5401 10.6552 26.2786 10.3387 26.9248 10.3387C28.1117 10.3387 28.8633 11.3673 28.8633 12.4751C28.8633 13.5169 28.2303 14.651 26.8984 14.651C26.2654 14.651 25.6192 14.3873 25.1577 13.7938V11.3937Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M37.4711 15.8906V11.7893C37.4711 10.0222 36.6403 8.94081 34.7149 8.94081C33.739 8.94081 32.6972 9.21775 31.8928 9.61338L32.328 10.8134C32.9082 10.5101 33.6599 10.22 34.4248 10.22C35.4666 10.22 35.8754 10.7739 35.8754 11.697V11.8553C35.3743 11.7498 34.9523 11.7102 34.5962 11.7102C33.1588 11.7102 31.6026 12.2377 31.6026 13.9257C31.6026 15.3499 32.7763 16.0489 34.0423 16.0489C34.8204 16.0489 35.4798 15.8379 35.9677 15.2576L36.0468 15.8906H37.4711ZM35.8754 14.1894C35.4138 14.5851 34.9259 14.862 34.3325 14.862C33.7126 14.862 33.172 14.5587 33.172 13.8729C33.172 12.9894 34.0819 12.752 34.8336 12.752C35.1369 12.752 35.4666 12.7916 35.8754 12.8839V14.1894Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M39.3895 9.09906V15.8906H40.9852V11.3805C41.3809 10.7475 42.0402 10.3387 42.6732 10.3387C43.1612 10.3387 43.5041 10.5101 43.7019 10.853C43.9524 11.275 43.9656 11.908 43.9656 12.4751V15.8906H45.5613V12.3564C45.5613 11.3673 45.4558 10.4706 44.9547 9.81119C44.5327 9.2705 43.8997 8.94081 43.0821 8.94081C42.2644 8.94081 41.46 9.32325 40.9193 10.1013L40.8402 9.09906H39.3895Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><path d=\"M53.8995 6H52.2906V9.798C51.7631 9.21775 50.9587 8.94081 50.2598 8.94081C48.308 8.94081 46.9761 10.6156 46.9761 12.4751C46.9761 14.4532 48.3608 16.0489 50.2334 16.0489C50.9851 16.0489 51.8686 15.7588 52.3566 15.0203L52.4357 15.8906H53.8995V6ZM52.2906 13.596C51.9082 14.3345 51.1697 14.651 50.5367 14.651C49.3366 14.651 48.5981 13.6224 48.5981 12.5146C48.5981 11.4728 49.2311 10.3387 50.5631 10.3387C51.1829 10.3387 51.8291 10.6024 52.2906 11.1959V13.596Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- width wrap --><\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin --><\/p>\n<div id=\"loop16\" class=\"block w-full&#10;         p-0  &#10;                 m-0 sm:m-0  &#10;         \">\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">The six crops analyzed represent a portion of the fresh produce market, but each shows how rising imports can increase pressure on U.S. growers. In some cases, that pressure comes from a steadily higher import baseline across the year. In others, foreign shipments have expanded directly into critical domestic harvest windows, when growers must quickly market highly perishable crops and recover their annual costs.  Across most of the examples, U.S. production has been flat or declining even as imports have gained a larger share of the market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">That competition is especially difficult because many foreign suppliers operate with substantially lower labor, production and regulatory costs. U.S. growers face rising expenses for wages, worker housing, food safety, water quality, pesticide compliance and other requirements that are difficult to pass on to buyers. As those costs limit domestic acreage and investment, imports increasingly fill the resulting supply gap, reinforcing greater reliance on foreign production. <\/p>\n<p class=\"voa-body-copy\">Trade remains essential to meeting consumer demand for affordable, year-round produce, and strong agricultural trading relationships benefit the broader food supply chain. But those benefits should not require accepting continued erosion of U.S. production capacity. Preserving a resilient produce sector will require reducing unnecessary domestic cost pressures, helping growers remain competitive and using targeted trade remedies when specific practices are proven to cause measurable harm. A dependable fresh produce supply ultimately requires both reliable trade partners and farmers who can afford to keep growing here at home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/margin and padding --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Labor, input and regulatory expenses have climbed sharply, making it harder for domestic produce growers to recover costs, invest in their operations, and keep up with consumer demand. Since 2010, U.S. fruit production has declined 32% and vegetable production has fallen 10%, while fresh fruit and vegetable imports have each increased about 70%. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7040341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12026],"tags":[21031,1349,33702,6021,12667,13953,11715,16576,10348,8134],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7040340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","tag-bureau","tag-calendar","tag-competing","tag-farm","tag-growing","tag-intel","tag-markets","tag-produce","tag-squeeze","tag-u-s"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Competing Across the Calendar: The Growing Squeeze on U.S. Produce | Farm Bureau Intel Markets - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=7040340\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Competing Across the Calendar: The Growing Squeeze on U.S. Produce | Farm Bureau Intel Markets - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Key Takeaways Labor, input and regulatory expenses have climbed sharply, making it harder for domestic produce growers to recover costs, invest in their operations, and keep up with consumer demand. Since 2010, U.S. fruit production has declined 32% and vegetable production has fallen 10%, while fresh fruit and vegetable imports have each increased about 70%. 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Since 2010, U.S. fruit production has declined 32% and vegetable production has fallen 10%, while fresh fruit and vegetable imports have each increased about 70%. 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