Mushroom growers
(Continued (rom Page A 24)
of the U.S. consumption of
mushrooms is a reasonable and
fair contribution for the mushroom
industry to make to the operations
ofU.S. trade policy,” saidKooker.
According to the AMI director,
these continually increasing
quantities of imported canned
mushrooms have hurt U.S.
mushroom growers considerably
causing 25 percent of the
growers to go out of business and
causing eight of 29 canneries in the
U.S. to fold.
Earlier this summer, in a report
to the president, the ITC said, “It is
our view that „the domestic
mushroom industry continues to
suffer serious harm from import
competition.” Imports of canned
mushrooms from China increased
from 17 thousand pounds in 1978 to
14.8 million pounds in 1900, prin
cipally because China was granted
lower duties under a trade
agreement effective Feb. 1, 1900.
In 1961, China doubled its exports
to 27.4 million pounds by pricing its
exports to the U.S. 17 to 37 percent
lower than prices charged by
Korea and Taiwan and under
selling domestic mushrooms by 17
cents per pound.
Kooker explained that in 1980,
the U.S. mushroom industry
petitioned the president and
pursued unport relief from China.
Carter responded by placing a
tariff and quantitative limitations
on mushroom imports. Duties
Were increased by 20 percent that
year, dropped to 15 percent last
year, and to 10 percent this year
the final year of import relief,
Kooker said.
But, in order to stimulate trade,
China was given special con
sideration and was allowed to
export mushrooms duty-free to the
U.S. under its “most favored
nation status.” In effect, Kooker
said, the U.S. financed the growing
and processing of mushrooms in
China.
“Mushroom growers in the U.S.
had accepted Carter’s increased
duties as a deterrent —a chance to
pull ourselves up by our boot
straps through increased ef
ficiency in growing and through
alternative markets,” Kooker
said, citing the trend for the U.S.
mushroom growers to produce for
the fresh market. “But, the duty
acted as no deterrent to China.”
With the economic hardships
inflicted on U.S. mushroom
growers by competition from
imports, Kooker noted there was
no money for growers to invest in
developing fresh markets. “The
industry realizes it is something
that is necessary. Growers realize
hit spring weeds when they’re down.
The mulch you use on strawberries this
.fall has weed seeds and volunteer grain.
Left unchecked, they’ll germinate to
cause problems next spring. Once these
seeds sprout they cannot be controlled
by residual herbicides. But Devrinol
herbicide, applied now—before you
mulch —will stop weed germination in
spring. Use Devrinol preceding
Use Devrinol now and
the need. But at the same time
they're asking: ‘Where are we
going to get the money?
Unable to compete with foreign
imports in the U.S. market, and
with domestic mushroom can
neries folding, growers here in the
states have begun “dumping"
mushrooms into the fresh market
and as a result are depressing
prices by roughly 20 cents a pound.
To avoid further price reduction,
Kooker stressed the need to in
crease per capita consumption of
musiirooms by developing new
markets and changing the public’s
thinking. “We have to get the
consumer to think of mushrooms
not only as a garnish but as a full
side vegetable,” he said.
In order to achieve the needed
research and promotion to keep
the U.S. mushroom industry
healthy, Kooker said AMI is
“pursuing a questionaire of grower
interest in a marketing order.’ ’
Earlier this year Sen. John Heinz
and Rep. Richard Schulze in
troduced legislation in both sides of
Congress which would amend the
Agriculture Agreement Act of 1937
to include mushrooms in
marketing orders and to,allow paid
advertising. The legislation
remains in both the Senate and
House Agriculture committees.
The referendum would call for a
progressive grower contribution
up to a maximum of one cent per
pound over a three-year period. To
SclMthwlMrbfekS*
rain or snow and prior to ground freeze,
then apply mulch. You won’t have to
worry about weeding, or weed competi
tion, all the way to picking time.
Ask your dealer for details, and follow
label directions. Stauffer Chemical
Agricultural
Chemical Division,
Westport, CT 0688 L
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 9,1982-A29
pass, the referendum would need said Kooker, adding mushroom
two-thirds of the growers’ ap- growers are “Rhodes scholars” in
provals. Once passed, the checkoff production but "school dropouts”
would be mandatory, Kooker when it comes to promotion and
explained, and everyone would marketing
pay. The roughly $2.5 million that Kooker noted much work has to
would be contributed by the be done in educating produce
growers for promotion and managers on the proper way to
research would be administered by handle mushrooms to mmntaip
a 24 person board representative of their high quality from farm to
production, he added. Large consumer,
companies that carry' out brand The future of the mushroom
advertising of mushrooms would industry hinges on the efforts
be given 50 percent credit on their growers are willing to put into
checkoff share. current legislative events, Kooker
Why should growers vote “yes” stated, while urging fanners and
on the proposed referendum? growers to contact their
According to Kooker, it will Congressmen and enlist their
provide the avenues for increased support for the orderly marketing
demand through more Advertising agreement. He also urged support
dollars. Currently Americans of the proposed referendum to help,
consume only 2.5 pounds of build sales of fresh mushrooms. •
mushrooms each year, compared
with 7 pounds a year in Canada and
7.7 pounds in Europe.
“Our per capita consumption
could double with investment,”
Stauffer
Without the referendum “the
market will build because of
growers going out. Survivors will
pick up what the others lose,”
Kooker concluded.
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