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  • From: "Larry Lombard" <ljmelea@msn.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] State of garlic industry discussed at industrybreakfast
  • Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:01:59 -0600

no problem selling my organic idaho approved garlic,buy idaho,buy american.larry


From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
Reply-To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Livingontheland] State of garlic industry discussed at industrybreakfast
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:09:54 -0700



State of garlic industry discussed at industry breakfast
by Brian Gaylord
http://www.theproducenews.com/StoryNews.cfm?ID=7310

10/22/2007
HOUSTON -- After listening to several less-than-glowing accounts regarding
competition from Chinese producers, Don Christopher of Gilroy, CA-based
Christopher Ranch weighed in with a viewpoint that brought a lift to
everyone assembled at the garlic industry's Oct. 13 breakfast at the PMA
Fresh Summit.

"About five years ago, we lost the battle with Chinese garlic," Mr.
Christopher said. "Now the Chinese hit themselves in the foot. It's not
costing us anything. The whole market looks good for this year and next
year."

Mr. Christopher told the audience -- many of whom were members of the
Christopher Ranch team from around the nation -- that his salespeople are
doing "a great job."

Last year, for the first time ,the United States bought more garlic from
China than from California. China now has a dominant market share in the
United States. But the food-safety scare several months ago that began with
unsafe substances added to pet food from China brought on tighter
food-safety standards imposed by the Chinese government that have curtailed
that country's garlic exports.

Chinese garlic has become popular in part because it wholesales in the
United States for about half the price of California-grown garlic.

Sal Vacca of A.J. Trucco opened the breakfast discussion by saying that the
industry had been "forced to go into Chinese garlic."

Paul Auerbach of South Hackensack, NJ-based Maurice A. Auerbach Inc. said
that a lot of business has been lost on the wholesale side and that the
wholesale business "has changed tremendously over the last few years." He
said that high-end, white tablecloth restaurants opt for California garlic.

Joe Lane of The Garlic Company in Bakersfield, CA, said that there are
"still a lot of people who prefer cheaper garlic based on price."

Jeff Stokes of Christopher Ranch said that restaurants look at the bottom
line when they are buying peeled garlic, but in bulk, customers are
"switching away from Chinese [garlic]."

Doug Urbach of Christopher Ranch's Los Angeles division agreed that there
is more demand on the bulk side for California garlic.

Miguel Usabiaga of GAB in central Mexico said that consumption of garlic is
up.

"The Mexican market wants quality -- they don't mind paying a high price,"
Mr. Usabiaga said, adding that while Chinese garlic is not allowed into
Mexico, along the coast and in the Culiacan area, some Chinese garlic that
was brought in illegally could be found. He said that a lot of garlic is
coming into Mexico from Argentina and Chile.

Michael Mantelli of Christopher Ranch said that California is "under a
severe water shortage" and that the state is looking to cut back water
allocation to prime garlic-growing areas by 25-50 percent. As a result, the
company has to determine where it can make the "most profit per acre foot
of water," he said.

Javier Usabiaga Sr. of GAB said that he and Mr. Christopher are
contemporaries who are optimists.

"I think today we're harvesting something we planted many years ago," Mr.
Usabiaga Sr. said.


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