‘I give it three months, and then we go bankrupt,’ says one Californian restaurant owner
  • Donald Trump has imposed a 17 per cent tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico, raising concerns about increased prices for consumers and businesses.
  • The tariffs took effect after the US withdrew from the nearly three-decade-old Tomato Suspension Agreement, with the Secretary of Commerce stating American farmers had been ‘crushed by unfair trade practices’. The Commerce Department calculated the 17 per cent import tax to measure the percentage by which Mexican tomatoes were allegedly sold at unfair prices in the US.
  • The measure is expected to result in higher costs at supermarkets and restaurants, with one Californian restaurant owner predicting bankruptcy within three months.
  • Mexico, which supplies about 70 per cent of US tomatoes, has refuted claims of dumping, insisting the popularity of their produce is due to its quality, and stated that substitution would be impossible.
  • The_v@lemmy.world
    26·
    6 days ago

    For those that don’t know for fresh market tomatoes.

    Indeterminate tomato vines can be grown for years if they don’t freeze.

    Mexico has invested heavily in greenhouses, high tunnels and thrip-proof net-houses. These allow for year round production of tomatoes. This was done with government money.

    Canada has also invested heavily in greenhouses to grow tomatoes and produce them year round. This was also done with government money.

    Meanwhile the U.S. focused on open field machine harvested sauce tomatoes controlled by massive corporations. There are still some U.S. tomato growers that rely almost 100% on immigrant labor. In general they produce 1/10th the tonnage per acre at higher cost even with the cheap labor.

  • crankyrebel@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    24·
    6 days ago

    Trump probably hasn’t eaten a vegetable his whole life. Now if it was an increase on a KFC bucket of chicken, this would not happen.

  • hark@lemmy.world
    12·
    6 days ago

    That 17% tariff will magically turn into 200% price increases thanks to algorithmic price fixing.

  • Bonus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    6 days ago

    Buy local, folks. I got far higher quality tomatoes at a farm stand the other day than I can find at any big box store in the US. The prices can’t be beat.

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
      23·
      6 days ago

      Buy local, and buy seasonal. That’s just as important, because if you’re shopping for avocados in Milwaukee in November, those fuckers have traveled a long way and was picked a long time ago. You might not live in a climate that has oranges or strawberries year round. Accept this and choose food that doesn’t have a swollen climate footprint.

      Also eat free-range billionaires. Eating one billionaire would do more good for the climate than every other change you and 300 of your friends could make.

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
        4·
        6 days ago

        Not eating anything except local produce might get you winter scurvy in some places.

        But you have a good sensible point about the billionaires.

        • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          5·
          6 days ago

          One word: cabbage.

          Two words: yummy cabbage.

          Many words: I actually agree with you in general, I just love cabbage which, on top of many other benefits, is SUPER high in vitamin C and excellently suited for climates where not much grows in winter🙂

          • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
            1·
            6 days ago

            I approve of cabbage but I’m not delighted with most of the recipes I’ve used. Got something really different? And please, my body can’t tolerate much capsaicin so don’t lean into heavy 🌶️. Other spicy spices are fine.

        • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
          2·
          6 days ago

          There are plenty of sources of vitamin c that are available in the winter. Broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts are all available in colder climates well into fall and winter. Sailors would get scurvy from eating fish and cured meat and drinking only ale and water for months at a time. Malnourished children get scurvy because of neglect. It’s not that hard for adults with access to fresh food and sufficient economic freedom to get enough vitamins.

      • Bonus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        6 days ago

        Learning to eat what’s seasonal is a great way to understand world cuisines better. It’s advantageous when traveling…

      • Bonus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        6 days ago

        Depends on the region. I can find about 5 on Victoria Avenue in Riverside, California alone. Farm stands are everywhere under our noses in this state and we can wind up overlooking these amenities.

        In LA, back in the day, I would have been going to farmer’s markets more, which are a bit more work because they have limited schedules. Still, there are brilliant places like Super King there, that have a lot of value for the money. I also miss other specialties there like sushi-grade fish mongers, etc. There are quite a lot of options in Southern California and beyond such as Latino supermarket chains like Vallartas, Cardena’s and Northgate/Gonzalez Bros as well as Asian options like 99 Ranch Market.

  • Ann Archy@lemmy.world
    3·
    6 days ago

    The real reason for all of this is he wants to disenfranchise the poor and destitute to the point where they have no choice but join the army to get food and healthcare.

    They are force feeding the machine.

    You know why they need that? Because a BIG WAR is coming.

  • thesohoriots@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    6 days ago

    He probably thought he was throwing tariffs on Italy. “Don’t get me wrong folks, I love Sbarro…”