News

Growers waiting ITC action

Specialty crop growers are anxiously waiting to see if the International Trade Commission moves in their favor on import dumping. 

Fourth-generation southwest Michigan farmer Fred Leitz grows cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, and blueberries.  He tells Brownfield he’s disappointed the ITC doesn’t consider labor as part of growers’ costs when building a case for import dumping.

“Any grower that I talk to in the Midwest will say that it’s the labor issue that is killing us,” he says.

For Leitz, a box of tomatoes for example he says costs $5 in labor, in Mexico it’s 45 cents.

The ITC is expected to release a report today for the U.S. Trade Representative on its findings on unfair trade practices by foreign exporters on cucumber and squash imports into the U.S. market.

Leitz says there’s no real room left to cut costs on his farm and while some consumers do seek American grown products, price remains the top factor.

Brownfield interviewed Leitz during the Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids.