PALM BEACH POST

September 19, 2007

Immigration issue gnaws at growers

By SUSAN SALISBURY   Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

BOCA RATON — Without a way to get workers with proper documentation to harvest fruits and vegetables, Florida and the nation could slide into an economic downturn, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson warned Tuesday.

Not only that, but foreign countries will supply even more of the nation's food, Bronson told more than 200 people at the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association's 64th annual convention at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

"I am getting so aggravated with the mood in Congress right now about the fruit and vegetable migrant worker situation," Bronson said. "Sides have been taken to the point where no one is willing to move."

Accusing Congress of using the issue as "a whipping boy," Bronson added that "the farmworker side of this issue could have been settled long before now."

Earlier in the day, produce industry representatives from Texas, California and Florida expressed their own frustration with Congress' lack of action on the issue. They said immigrant labor, mostly from neighboring Mexico, is critical to keeping down the costs of U.S. food production.

"We have to convince the American people that these are not jobs Americans want to do," said Tom Nassif, president and CEO of the Irvine-Calif.-based Western Growers Association.

Emanuel Lazopoulos, chairman of the Washington-based United Fresh Produce Association, said it's difficult to understand how politicians in Washington have not done anything about the problem.

Meanwhile, 10 million to 12 million illegal workers are doing jobs Americans won't do, said Lazopoulos, who is also senior vice president of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. in Coral Gables.

While immigration reform has stalled, the produce industry has seen progress in another major area - food safety. Friday was the one-year anniversary of the first reports of the E. coli outbreak in California-grown spinach. The outbreak killed three people and sickened 205 others.

Since then, growers and handlers of California leafy green vegetables, Florida tomatoes and leafy greens have implemented stricter uniform food safety agreements that require among other things, testing workers, equipment, water, soil and fertilizer.

Scott Horsfall, chief executive of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, said being part of the pact is voluntary.

But once a handler joins, he said the company is obligated to allow regular audits conducted by state inspectors.

"Our objective is to minimize the risk of food-borne illness," Horsfall said. "We don't want any tainted product."

Western Palm Beach County's Glades growers produce almost all the state's commercial romaine, endive, iceberg and escarole lettuce, and baby spinach. They have approved a pact similar to California's. It has been adapted to Florida's terrain and climate.

While there's never been a contamination problem associated with produce in the Glades, leafy greens growers and packers there decided to take a proactive stance, said Rick Roth, president of Roth Farms.

"A valid point was made today," he said. "Nobody can guarantee somebody won't get sick. We are going to do everything we can to stay on top of it and prevent it."