MISSION, TX - The Texas International Produce Association announced that the Lone Star State is seeing a surge of fresh produce coming through its international ports of entry.

The information was yielded from a recent study conducted by the Texas A&M Center for North American Studies, according to TIPA’s President and CEO, Bret Erickson, analyzing USDA data.

Erickson noted that the study showed enormous increases in Texas volumes, more than 21% from 2014 to 2015.

These products, primarily grown in Mexico but which Erickson added are often from the same grower/shippers who grow in Texas and other parts of the U.S., include:

• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Lettuce
• Limes

TIPA noted that Texas is showing increasing growth, with is ports having seen approximately 210,000 load equivalents cross in 2015, several of which showed a better-than-average increase.

“The Texas produce industry is growing incredibly fast, creating tremendous opportunities for produce companies and allied industries such as transportation, customs brokerages, cold storage operations, construction companies, box and pallet companies, food retailers and many others,” Erickson said. “Texas volumes of imported produce have grown a staggering 108% over the last eight years. By comparison, California has grown by 50% and Arizona by 31% over the same period.”

On its own, Pharr, Texas has experienced a 35.5% increase from 2014 to 2015, with experts at Texas A&M’s Center for North American Studies speculating that it could even surpass other ports, according to the press release, late this year or early next in traffic for fresh produce imports in the U.S.

“The growth of produce imports through Texas, and more specifically through the Pharr Bridge, is remarkable,” Luis Ribera, agricultural economist and Director of Texas A&M’s Center for North American Studies, said. “Early data shows produce imports through Texas ports were already up by 30.3% for the month of January 2016 compared to January 2015.”

This is not to say that challenges do not still stand, however, and Erickson added that the association is engaged in a number of efforts to both expedite the flow of trade and improve infrastructure to help alleviate those challenges that come with rapid growth.

Among those efforts, Erickson listed:

• Pushing for, and receiving, increased staffing levels of FDA inspectors
• Successfully lobbying the state of Texas to help pay for extended hours of coverage at Texas ports
• Development of an overweight truck corridor

TIPA has also pushed to increase cooperation between Customs and Border Protection and USDA-APHIS, resulting in more cargo release authority for CBP-Ag Specialists, which it says helps to speed up insect identifications.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the growth of ports and other aspects that reflect changes in the produce industry, so stay tuned.

TIPA