Kitchen

[SeaMaiden]

I guess it is good That tomatoes are something I just do not care for. 

[Kachina624]

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@lmt wrote:

Tomato prices could spike as U.S. ends agreement with Mexico

Tomato prices could take off as the U.S. withdraws from a pact with its top supplier, Mexico.

The so-called Tomato Suspension Agreement expired on Tuesday, triggering duties of more than 17% on supplies crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. The decision was made in part to protect growers in Florida.

Tomato growers in the Latin American country now need to pay collateral to cover the cost of the duties before they are able to export to the U.S., Mexico’s economy ministry said in a statement Tuesday. That could mean more than $350 million in extra costs for producers — fees many small and medium-size exporters probably will be unable to bear, the statement said.

“It’s a win for our group,” Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the trade association Florida Tomato Exchange, said by telephone. He said tomatoes from Mexico sold below the U.S. cost of production make it hard for Florida growers to compete.

Prices for tomato imports jumped when the move was announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce on Feb. 6, and will probably increase again to account for the duties, according to David Magana, a senior analyst at Rabobank International.
The tariffs could “impact prices in the U.S. in a matter of days,” Magana said in an email Monday.

U.S. tomato retail prices could climb by 40% to as much as 85%, with the bigger gains likely coming in the October-June period, according to a study by Arizona State University. The study was commissioned by the Fresh Produce Assn. of the Americas.
On April 26, the average cost had fallen to about 98 cents a pound, the lowest since October, the most recent government data show.

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@lmt.  People have no idea how much these duties and tariffs are costing the American consumer.  Everything made with steel including all appliances, all clothing made in China which is most of it and now food.  And for what?

[Snowpuppy]

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@pdlinda wrote:

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

Agreed, they are so very easy to grow. Even on a porch or patio.

I live rural so everyone here grows their own. It's rare I buy tomatoes in season as people bring them into work as freebies.

Find a local farmer's market. They're fresh, local and you avoid the middleman markup.

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I live in AZ and every time I try to grow tomatoes on my patio they become infested with bugs and I have to destroy the plant.  Then, we have the issue of the our beastly hot summers.  

Am I doing something wrong???

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Talk to your local county extension service. They provide top notch info for free about your local growing conditions, best plants to select and how to enhance poor soil.

It looks like they partner with U of AZ out your way.

[sissel]

@pdlinda I live in az. too I tried Early Girls when they got to a size of a cherry tomato they ripened so fast & split open. The heat out here is so bad. 

[Flatbush]

Most of the tomatoes in my local stores, have little to no taste. So I will not miss them. I need to grow some in my garden. They are always flavorful.

[ID2]

I strictly buy local. So whatever is sold in the grocery stores, surely isn't purchased by me. 

[Desertdi]

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@sissel wrote:

@pdlindaI live in az. too I tried Early Girls when they got to a size of a cherry tomato they ripened so fast & split open. The heat out here is so bad. 

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@sissel   I'm also in AZ.........and the birds got mine as soon as they had a tinge of pink.    I gave up.........birds won!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

I'm not sure less competition will necessarily drive prices down, but it will be interesting.  Many products are produced with tomatoes.  It's not just the fresh ones that may be impacted, but hey, we will wait and see, and hope for the best.

I've read that folks in Nogales continue to negotiate.

[Desertdi]

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@Kachina624 

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@lmt.  People have no idea how much these duties and tariffs are costing the American consumer.  Everything made with steel including all appliances, all clothing made in China which is most of it and now food.  And for what?

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@Kachina624                          !

[Nataliesgramma]

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@Flatbush wrote:

Most of the tomatoes in my local stores, have little to no taste. So I will not miss them. I need to grow some in my garden. They are always flavorful.

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I agree and I'm sure US farmers can take up the slack.....