Author Topic: Mexican avocado imports blocked?  (Read 2348 times)

slopat

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Re: Mexican avocado imports blocked?
« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2022, 02:41:38 PM »

Farming takes a strong mind, body, and a bit of luck to succeed.  Farming is a tough living and requires a lot of wise decisions/planning/ execution.  Both weather and politics (people) are major factors of risk. If given a choice,  definitely "want to do" is a requirement.  It is rewarding but not for everyone.

Anyways,  Brad's success also conveys many of us benefits too... how many of you have enjoyed his avocados and cherimoyas? +1

I am planting more trees, been digging out them ornamentals... even encouraging my neighbors to do the same!

...  Just have to want to do that sort of thing and make it work for you.  And of course theres plenty of risks involved the more you put into these things.

spaugh

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Re: Mexican avocado imports blocked?
« Reply #26 on: February 17, 2022, 02:56:16 PM »
I think most people around here growing avocados are doing it as a side gig.  As in thry live on the ranch and pay others to manage the grove and they get a check each year.  Not everyone but a lot of the groves are run that way.  So its passive income for them they do little of their own work.  That obviohsly eats way into your margins paying for water and labor and ultra low retail prices you get paid for fruit.

Im a nobody with a couple acres of trees trying to do it all cheap to make some beer money really.  But ive seen others who have big groves who make money and also seen them lose money.  My wife used to live on a property that her friends parents owned.  The land had a mansion on it and 10 or so acres of hass trees.  They paid people to do all the farm work and collected the check.  They had other businesses like resturaunts and night clubs.  They decided strip clubs were a good investment.  Bought a strip club somewhere in Georgia I think it was and it ended up bankrupting them.  They lost everything including the house in fallbrook and all the avocado trees. 

Ive also seen people pickup 20-30 acres of old grove avocados that needed to be rehabilitated.  They end up spending hundreds of thousands fixing all the old irrigation, wells, cutting down old sick treees, chipping it, and on and on and on and it becomes a giant money pit.  Probably will not turn a profit or break even on those deals.  And if you dont live on the property, its just an extra expense.  If you at least live there, you have that to show for.

Then I know another guy with 100+ acres of trees, he has been doong it forever and makes $.  Lives nearby and goes to work his orchards with a crew. 

Lots of different approaches and outcomes. 
« Last Edit: February 17, 2022, 02:58:01 PM by spaugh »
Brad Spaugh

vall

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Re: Mexican avocado imports blocked?
« Reply #27 on: February 17, 2022, 04:39:52 PM »
No need to click, title says it all
https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9401592/experts-fear-mexican-cartels-will-target-more-produce-than-just-avocados/

This is a good enough time for it to happen, everyone is used to empty shelves. Just shrug and buy something else.
- Val

CTMIAMI

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Re: Mexican avocado imports blocked?
« Reply #28 on: February 17, 2022, 06:37:49 PM »
Florida (and California) forum members, plant more avocado trees!  Everybody should have their own trees.
I'm not sure if I'm the only Florida commercial grower in this Forum. But here is my opinion:
1. The USDA does not seem to support growers in the US for specialty crops like green avocados. Our competition in Florida are the Dominican Republic avocados. How can I honestly compete with .65 Cents an hour labor when I have to pay $15. The chain stores do not care about quality. They buy the imports regardless of quality. Some of the West Indie's fruit does not travel well and does not refrigerate well for the travel to US. The consumer experiences a rotting fruit with very unappealing taste and looks.
2. Growers in Florida do not get paid more for growing better fruit is all about volume. We have varieties here that taste really good but produce less I'm not rewarded for growing such fruit.

It is a structural problem with no easy solution.   In the meantime, we keep making the cartels richer, does that make any sense? Probably not, but we keep on doing it.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2022, 11:02:44 PM by CTMIAMI »
Carlos
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www.myavocadotrees.com
zone 10a Miami-Dade County

johnb51

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Re: Mexican avocado imports blocked?
« Reply #29 on: February 17, 2022, 06:42:17 PM »
Makes perfect sense, Carlos!
John