MIAMI: Gateway to America

“The great thing about tropicals is that they cover the gamut, in terms of size, price, and allure—and they’re giving the old standards a real run for their money. Starfruit’s appearance in the fruit bowl means that apples and bananas get some competition for a kid’s grab-and-go snack,” Ostlund says.

Changes & Challenges
Even with the improving economy, the industry faces ongoing challenges, from new regulations and consumer demand to higher transportation costs, supply chain issues, and increasingly dramatic weather events that affect product availability. Even mergers have an impact, as anything that happens on a large scale often creates a ripple effect.

Labor:
Uppermost for many Florida companies were stricter federal policies and standards governing produce traceability, as well as the ever-present and thorny issue of immigration law.

The federal government shutdown in October exacerbated the labor problem for Florida grower-shippers, as H2-A guest worker visa petitions sat untouched for weeks while crops ripened in the fields. 

Thousands of temporary workers were needed for harvests, but were nowhere to be found. After trade groups like the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association approached the U.S. Department of Labor and urged action, some headway was made in the backlog, but workers were late to many of the Sunshine State’s harvests.

Traceability:
For many companies, the question of traceability winds up being a costly one, as they invest in pricey warehouse management systems to implement the programs. “The most challenging part is uniformity on what needs to be done at the farm level across all countries and growers,” says Leslie Simmons of Dave’s Specialty Imports, Inc. “We have to be flexible to make sure we’re meeting Produce Traceability Initiative standards as well as working fairly with our growers.”

Fernando Fonseca, president at Olivia’s Best, Inc., which imports and distributes produce from Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, points to the supply chain, noting how more customers want to know where and how the product was grown, how it was shipped, what kind of packaging was used, and whether it’s safe to eat. “You want to make sure the product you give consumers is a good, clean, healthy product.”

Transportation:
Some good news related to the supply chain, however, is the expansion of available shipping modes. Railex, the cold chain rail shipper headquartered in Albany, NY, announced it would open a new Florida facility in Jacksonville. The new hub will not only broaden the company’s distribution network, but allow for express shipping throughout the Southeast to and from major markets including Atlanta and Miami.