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Posts Tagged ‘cantaloupe’
Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Last fall, in the deadliest American food-borne illness outbreak since the 1920s, listeria tainted cantaloupes grown in Colorado killed 30 people and sickened nearly 150 across over 28 states. While Colorado cantaloupe growers are planning a large-scale food safety program, the larger impact of the listeria crisis is still being felt across the country.
In California’s Central Valley, cantaloupe producers are still struggling months after the outbreak, despite the fact that all the tainted melons were grown on farms 1,300 miles away.
The sudden drop in consumer demand has hit these farmers hard. In the Central Valley, which produces 90 percent of the United States’ summer cantaloupe crop, farm workers on cantaloupe farms were let go and crops were left to rot in the field. Cantaloupe growers across California are still reducing their acreage and looking for alternative crops to plant until the public outcry dies down.
The chair of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board acknowledged the arbitrariness of public fears, stating, “People shouldn’t have to fear their food. But the irony is that California shipped more cantaloupe in a day than Colorado in their whole season. Millions and millions of cantaloupe, healthy and fine.”
Similar hurdles are appearing in other states as well. With farmers struggling to think of ways to combat misguided public opinion, the solution coming out of California, Colorado, and other cantaloupe producing states is a strict set of production guidelines maximizing health and sanitation standards.
Establishing tough best practice guidelines will help restore consumer confidence in a tarnished industry and will hopefully help farmers across the country continue to serve their local communities.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, cantaloupe, listeria
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Sunday, November 27th, 2011
In the wake of a series of food recalls, most recently a Colorado cantaloupe recall, some agricultural officials are rethinking food safety regulations. While the most immediate beneficiary of a stricter regulatory processes are consumers, the health and safety of the agricultural industry as a whole is also a major factor driving tougher standards.
The damage done to farmers’ reputations may not be as tangible as the illnesses and deaths caused by tainted food, but it can cause significant and lasting damage to growers.
In the Salinas Valley of California, for example, the leafy greens industry is still struggling to recover from a 2006 E. coli outbreak. The outbreak of E. coli in Salinas spinach killed three people, sickened 206, and dominated national news for months.
While farmers reacted swiftly, retooling growing, planting, and packaging guidelines and creating an industry pact on strategies to protect various leafy greens grown in the state, a pact that is being hailed nationwide, they are still suffering from the damage done to their reputations.
Food and retail chains, for example, are much stricter about the quality of the product they buy. Some food chains even send unannounced inspectors to Salinas farms in order to guarantee that quality control measures are being followed. This increased public scrutiny has had an effect. Spinach production in Monterrey County, for example, has decreased by about $62 million.
Some Colorado cantaloupe farmers are hoping to imitate some of the Salinas safety regulations. Many ag officials there have suggested creating new industry guidelines and have proposed toughening up the inspection process. However, many cantaloupe farmers have suspended their melon planting, hoping to shift to other crops until the worst of the public furor has died down.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, cantaloupe, colorado, e. coli
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Saturday, November 12th, 2011
In the wake of Colorado’s cantaloupe controversy, state agricultural officials are planning a new certification program for Rocky Ford produce. State Agricultural Commissioner John Salazar discussed the possibility of a new certification program earlier this month, but balked at potential price tags.
However, certification plans have recently become more concrete with news that the proceeds of a sale of a railroad line in Southern Colorado could go towards funding the farm program.
The planned Rocky Ford Proud certification brand was discussed with local growers earlier this week. In order to qualify for the label, growers would have to conform to stricter production and hygiene standards suggested by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Colorado politicians have come out in favor of the certification program. While they are insistent that farmers and growers need to be the driving force behind it, many hope that the label could help rehabilitate a struggling industry.
The sale of the Tower Railroad line could bring the state about $9 million. Agricultural officials have estimated that about $150,000 would be needed to seed a certification program.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: cantaloupe, colorado, John Salazar
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Thursday, October 20th, 2011
According to Colorado agricultural officials, the cause of the recent listeria outbreak, traced to tainted cantaloupe from Jensen Farm, has been discovered. Earlier this week, investigators concluded that unsanitary conditions at packing facilities maintained by Jensen Farms were the root cause of the deadly illness.
The outbreak of listeria is the deadliest in recent U.S. history. 25 people were killed and 120 sickened across 26 states as a result of consuming tainted cantaloupe.
Part of the problem, some officials claim, is that Jensen Farm, which has operated for more than 20 years, was never inspected by the Food and Drug Administration. Many food growers are not required to submit to FDA inspections. While large buyers typically only purchase produce that has undergone Good Agricultural Practices certification and inspection, voluntary inspections and audits are frequently spotty. For example, Jensen Farms underwent and passed a voluntary audit in July, just weeks before the listeria outbreak.
While the listeria outbreak appears to be contained, many Colorado farmers are worried about the fallout. Cantaloupe farmers in the Rocky Ford area acknowledge that it will likely be some time before American consumers are willing to trust their cantaloupe. As such, many farmers in the region are reducing their cantaloupe planting, instead relying on other crops to get them through upcoming lean years.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: cantaloupe, colorado, FDA, listeria
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Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
The USDA’s Economic Research Service released its annual survey of cantaloupe statistics.
The survey includes 41 charts of information dating back to 1947, and touched on acreage, yields, production, price, value, supply, disappearance, per capita usage, exports, imports, arrivals, chemical use and more.
One set of data said cantaloupe numbers have increased over the past five decades from 1.3 billion pounds in 1960 to 2.9 billion pounds in 2009. Imports have increased from 79 million pounds in 1960 to 945 million pounds in 2009.
Most importantly, the consumption of American grown cantaloupe has increased. In 1960 only 6 percent of cantaloupes eaten were domestic, but today the number has grown to 34 percent.
These growing numbers are promising for cantaloupe producers or farmers looking to explore other crops. If you are in need of a loan to further your farming business, contact Farm Plus today. Low-rate loans are available for your needs. Call 866-929-5585 or visit our website for more information.
Tags: cantaloupe, Survey, usda
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Friday, August 28th, 2009
The USDA’s Economic Research Service released its annual survey of cantaloupe statistics.
The survey includes 41 charts of information dating back to 1947, and touched on acreage, yields, production, price, value, supply, disappearance, per capita usage, exports, imports, arrivals, chemical use and more.
According to statistics, cantaloupe have increased by 1.3 billion pounds over the last five decades. The study also showed that cantaloupe imports rose from 79 million to 945 million from 1960 to 2009. This is mostly due to the increase in consumption from six to 34 percent.
Even prices increased from 1960 to 2008. During this time period, prices quintupled rising from $4.33 per cwt. to $19.20.
Are you in the market for an agriculture loan? Contact Farm Plus today for information on low-rate farm, ranch and vineyard loans. Call 866092905585 or visit our website for more information.
Tags: cantaloupe, Research, usda
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