b'4American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comImported berry and avocado value surpasses bananasMeasuredbypoundsofannual$3.3 billion. Avocados imported to the consumption, bananas have long beenU.S. were worth $2.7 billion. Banana the most-consumed fruit in the Unitedvaluerankedthird,at$2.2billion. States. All bananas consumed in theGrapeimportscarriedatabof$1.6 U.S. are, of course, imported. billion, and pineapples were valued at Butaremarkableeventhas$800 million. occurred. In fiscal year 2019, the littleThe value of berry imports rose bitty imported berries by far surpassedfastest over the past decade, while the bananasinvalue.RuralMigrationvalue of banana imports fell.News Blog 203, published in Febru- Cal-Davisnotesthesetopfive ary 2021 by The University of Cali- freshfruitimportsaccountedfor fornia-Davis,reportedinthe2019three-fourths of the $14 billion of all numbers that imported berries valuedU.S. fresh fruit imports in 2019. A grower in Culiacan, Sinaloa, packs green bell peppers for Nogales distributor Fresh Farms in Nogales.( Photo: Tad Thompson)(SUCCESScontinued from page 2) Mexico has an abundant supply of the asorganicoptions,whichincreasedfreshandflavorfulfruit,arrivingto choicesforconsumers.Whilecon- the U.S. in just three- to five-days.ventional and field-grown fresh veg-etables still account for most imports,p racticala gp roductionorganicandgreenhousevegetablesa dVantagesare expanding market reach.IntheU.S.thereisawell-doc-AccordingtoAvocadosfromumentedhistoryofanagricultural Mexico(AFM),Mexicanavocadolabor shortage going back 100 years. exports to the U.S. doubled, from 1.2That situation is only getting worse. billion pounds in 2014 to 2.4 billionLabor is starting to be a challenge pounds in 2021.undercertainconditionsinMexico, StephanieBazan,AFMsvicebut unlike in the U.S., there is still a presidentofshopperandtrademar- good labor pool, Galeazzi notes. keting, said, In the past seven yearsThe ongoing water shortage in the alone, U.S. per capita consumption ofWestern U.S. has impaired agriculture avocados from Mexico has doubled production and U.S. growers also faceThe Port of Wilmington, Delaware remains the largest banana port in the United States. Despite shiploads its now at nine pounds per capita percompetitionforland,highlevelsofof banana arrivals into Wilmington, as well as other ports, the value of imported berries and avocados now year. Americansloveavocados,and(SUCCESScontinued on page 6) has exceeded bananas for several years. ( Photo: by Tad Thompson)PEOPLE KylieRamp Handler POWEREDAt Rickenbacker International, we understand the pressures of your business and our people work to make everything easier. So when you need help, our customer service is like everything else we do: fast, dependable and always there when you need it.Moving cargo is our business. But its our people who make it happen.RickenbackerAdvantage.com'