Florida and Mexico Competition for the Winter Fresh Vegetable Market

摘要

Florida eggplant producers outcompeted Mexican producers during the 1984/85 winter season, but the Mexicans had the competitive edge in supplying U.S. vegetable markets with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, green beans, and squash. That edge will survive if U.S. prices remain high enough to offset Mexico's high production costs and if Florida suffers more killer frosts. U.S. border fees contribute to Mexico's high costs. Enterprise budgets and weighted average prices are used to assess cost and price advantages of producing six winter fresh vegetables in Florida and the west Mexico state of Sinaloa. Cost and price advantages are used to measure the net competitive advantage of producing each of the vegetables and supplying U.S. markets. Production practices and technological changes are discussed.