Growers' dilemma: too many berries, not
enough markets 10/7/99 Regional cranberry growers are being forced to reevaluate how they approach world markets and how they can streamline government environmental regulations in the wake of declining profits. Independent growers and growers who how shares in the Ocean Spray cooperative face the worsening dilemma of too many berries and not enough markets, and some industry insiders say "we have no one to blame but ourselves." "In the past, growers simply stole market share from each other instead of developing new markets," said David Farrimond, general manager of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cranberry Marketing Committee. "In good times they didn't worry about product on the shelf. When things started to turn they had nothing on the drawing board." "The marketing committee is creating a generic promotion overseas," said Mr. Farrimond. "We are attending a trade show in Cologne Germany and there will be a Japanese delegation attending the Cranberry Harvest Festival in Carver this weekend." By representing the industry in Cologne, the cranberry marketers will target ingredient users in Europe. Meanwhile, many growers are increasingly burdened by state environmental regulations, many of which are unique to Massachusetts, and by federal requirements. "We need to educate the authorities about what it is like to farm and how laws impact farmers," said Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association executive director Jeffrey LaFleur. For now, state Rep. Thomas O'Brien (D-Kingston) says law makers are coming up with some financial assistance for growers. "The prices have dropped because of oversupply," Rep. O'Brien (said). "Where growers were getting around $70 to $80 a barrel, now their getting $30. That creates a number of ramifications for growers, not the least of which is declining profits. But Massachusetts berries are still the best." "Legislation is inappropriate at this time because it would take too long," said Rep. O'Brien, who along with his colleagues study the logistics of assessing financial resources to help growers. But growers and industry insiders look at what they can do in the long term. Larry, Paul and Richard Harju are owners in the Ocean Spray cooperative. They cultivate 25o acres of bogs in Middleboro, Kingston, Plympton and Carver. Larry Harju supports the cooperative's decision to encourage Canadian operations. "The growers in Canada are members of the cooperative just like us or the grapefruit growers in Florida," he said. "If we open more markets we develop great share. We don't want to paint ourselves into a corner like the dairy industry. We can be competitive by getting our costs in line with the rest of the world." But part of Mr. Harju's criticism falls to environmental regulations in Massachusetts which are inconsistent and more restrictive that competitors' regulations. Independent grower John Decas agrees that new markets need to be opened, but not under the present conditions. "The whole premise of Canadian growers defies the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which says free trade will occur with farmers on both sides having a level playing field," Decas said. "When you have a market in excess in demand of demand, create a new market, get aggressive, restrict new bogs, no new contracts... We have learned a valuable lesson," said Decas. Mr. LaFleur said law makers are not always sensitive to the needs of growers. As part of the Vision 2020, a task force studying unplanned growth impacts in Southeastern Massachusetts, Mr. LaFleur represents cranberry growers, but is only one of several community leaders in public and private sectors who speak to unplanned growth in Southeastern Massachusetts on the Vision 2020 task force. He advocates consistent regulations for environmental strategy starting the planning process with the farmer, then coordinating local regulations, state and federal regulations. "One of the components we have to looks at is that power is consolidated around the 128 beltway," Mr. LaFleur said. "Those representatives may not have an understanding about what it is to farm and how laws impact farmers. We've got some folks on the hill now, like Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), who is on the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee, Sen Therese Murray (D-Plymouth-Barnstable), representative William Straus (D-Mattapoisett) and Tom O'Brien, they are a core group who understand the (cranberry) industry. Mr. Harju said one area that needs attention is the way growers renew the 61A )agricultural preservation) designation yearly. Mr. LaFleur and Mr. Farrimond said the requirement is unfair to cranberry growers. "Cranberry growers have a consistent crop," said LaFleur. "It is planted the same way year after year. Other farmers may plant say 10 acres of corn one year and no tomatoes, in other words in other farming industries the land use does change. Cranberry growers, especially if they own bogs in different towns have to go through the expense and time to file the same information. Mr. Harju said that officials should also understand the tradition of cranberry growers as being responsible farmers. He also questions the disparity in regulating subdivisions and wetlands as compared to cranberry bogs and wetlands. Mr. Decas said he supports the industry finding new markets by promoting the health benefits of cranberry consumption. His family-owned business is the largest independent in the industry and its involved in marketing cranberries as an ingredient, dried or concentrated as well as fresh fruit. The Decas family also markets the brand name Paradise Meadows. Mr. Decas pointed out that the cranberry industry has experienced 25 years of growth, but not recently because for three years growers harvested record breaking crops and growers numbers increased in Canada and Wisconsin. He explained that in Canada growers "are not forced to comply with water regulations, they are subsidized and they don't have encroachment pressures which create serious problems when we are trying to replenish old bogs, some over 100 years old, or planting new varieties. "Canadians don't grow for themselves, they grow to sell here," said Mr. Decas.
"Right on Plymouth Street there is a 98-house subdivision going in," he said. "In front of one of the houses is a pond that fills every spring. That pond is being filled and the wetlands are being diminished, at least with growers our land remains the way it is." "If the feds think wetlands are such a valuable asset then the feds should buy all the wetlands and preserve them, but don't deny private land owners the right to make agricultural improvements to their own property," said Mr. Harju.
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