FTE and FTGE hold meetings at Joint Tomato Conference
FTE and FTGE hold meetings at Joint Tomato Conference
NAPLES, FL -- Members of the Florida Tomato Exchange and the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange met Sept. 4 for their annual membership meetings at the Joint Tomato Conference, here, at the Ritz-Carlton Naples.
Attendees of the FTE's meeting were addressed by John Himmelberg, an attorney with the Washington, DC-based law firm of Roetzel & Andress, who briefed them on lobbying work done on behalf of the industry on country-of- origin labeling, working to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture purchase fresh tomatoes and the new farm bill, the latter of which enabled the Florida Tomato Committee to receive a $228,000 block grant for promotion.
He also announced that after what "seemed liked a daunting task," especially with the World Trade Organization's rules to phase out suspension agreements, the U.S. Commerce Department extended the tomato suspension agreement with Mexico for another five years, beginning Nov. 1, 2007.
Mr. Himmelberg spoke about the recent Salmonella scare and said that "in my mind, this was government-caused disaster ... and it is ironic as there is no other industry as prepared as the Florida tomato industry."
He said that receiving compensation for it would be his "first, second and third priority," and he was working on crafting language for a compensation bill with Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) for Florida tomato growers and first handlers who he said lost about $150 million. Mr. Himmelberg strongly urged attendees to call their representatives and tell them to support this legislation.
The FTE elected James Grainger president, Bob Spencer vice president, Billy Heller secretary and Mike Sullivan treasurer.
The Florida Tomato Growers Exchange meeting followed on the heels of the FTE meeting, and Mike Aerts, director of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association's membership and marketing division, spoke on the Quincy tomato-growing area.
"The guys in the Quincy production area were originally looking forward to this spring's production season, it was going to be a banner year and their crop was pristine," he said. But because of the Salmonella scare, "literally the bottom fell out overnight and only about 55 percent of the crop was harvested and only one time."
He said that the acreage planted this year is only about half of what was planted two years ago, and there are growers who are crossing the state line into Georgia because it doesn't have the stringent rules that Florida growers are now subject to for Good Agricultural Practices and best management practices.
Due to standing water from Hurricane Fay lingering for an extended period of time, Mr. Aerts said that "things don't look real rosy at this particular junction. The whole [Quincy] production area is in trouble again" because of diseases, some of which he said have not been seen in that region before. The FTGE elected David Murrah president, Billy Heller vice president, Kern Carpenter secretary and Mike Sullivan treasurer.
Attendees of the FTE's meeting were addressed by John Himmelberg, an attorney with the Washington, DC-based law firm of Roetzel & Andress, who briefed them on lobbying work done on behalf of the industry on country-of- origin labeling, working to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture purchase fresh tomatoes and the new farm bill, the latter of which enabled the Florida Tomato Committee to receive a $228,000 block grant for promotion.
He also announced that after what "seemed liked a daunting task," especially with the World Trade Organization's rules to phase out suspension agreements, the U.S. Commerce Department extended the tomato suspension agreement with Mexico for another five years, beginning Nov. 1, 2007.
Mr. Himmelberg spoke about the recent Salmonella scare and said that "in my mind, this was government-caused disaster ... and it is ironic as there is no other industry as prepared as the Florida tomato industry."
He said that receiving compensation for it would be his "first, second and third priority," and he was working on crafting language for a compensation bill with Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) for Florida tomato growers and first handlers who he said lost about $150 million. Mr. Himmelberg strongly urged attendees to call their representatives and tell them to support this legislation.
The FTE elected James Grainger president, Bob Spencer vice president, Billy Heller secretary and Mike Sullivan treasurer.
The Florida Tomato Growers Exchange meeting followed on the heels of the FTE meeting, and Mike Aerts, director of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association's membership and marketing division, spoke on the Quincy tomato-growing area.
"The guys in the Quincy production area were originally looking forward to this spring's production season, it was going to be a banner year and their crop was pristine," he said. But because of the Salmonella scare, "literally the bottom fell out overnight and only about 55 percent of the crop was harvested and only one time."
He said that the acreage planted this year is only about half of what was planted two years ago, and there are growers who are crossing the state line into Georgia because it doesn't have the stringent rules that Florida growers are now subject to for Good Agricultural Practices and best management practices.
Due to standing water from Hurricane Fay lingering for an extended period of time, Mr. Aerts said that "things don't look real rosy at this particular junction. The whole [Quincy] production area is in trouble again" because of diseases, some of which he said have not been seen in that region before. The FTGE elected David Murrah president, Billy Heller vice president, Kern Carpenter secretary and Mike Sullivan treasurer.
