Don Jorge
Senior Nomad
Posts: 638
Registered: 8-29-2003
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Food for Thought: Channel 4 news Los Angeles: Child labor in Baja Fields
http://www.nbc4.tv/team4reports/3329151/detail.html
My brother called me up on this. He saw it and he knew I was having a hard time selling my cucumber crop this season because of a flooded cucumber
market due to cheap Mexican cucumbers selling for as little as $2.00 for a 25 pound box landed in Los Angeles.
While this expose singles out one operation, there are over a dozen huge growing operations in the San Quintin area where they could have found
similiar conditions in exisitence.
I know all about this and I, as many others who have spent anytime in this industry and in Baja also know many of these large growers are also in the
game of "lavando billetes". They left that part out though, sadly.
I had several conversations this past month with Whole Foods. They couldn't buy any quantities of my certified organic, California grown cucumbers
because they were selling imported cucumbers from Pinos and other Baja growers at high prices and making a great profit! They were paying 10 cents for
each cucumbers and selling them for abput a buck!
This from a "leader" in marketing of healthy, organic, green products. Right!
In the end I lost half of my spring crop, about 250,000 pounds of or 3,6000,000 cucumbers because I was unable to sell them at a price I could afford
to even pick! NAFTA SHAFT
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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Mood: Happy!
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Sorry to hear about the cukes Don....its a nasty world out there and corporate America seems willing to sell its soul these days to make a
buck........on the bright side, I've been down to your store several times this season and I've got to tell you your strawberries are the best I've
had in at least 20 years---they are incredible!! Keep up the good work, one of these days I'll catch you when your not out working in the field.
To anybody in the Orange County area: Dons fruit stand is at the corner of Del Avion and Alipaz in San Juan Capistrano and its a great place to buy
organic fruit and vegies that taste unbelievable!!!
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flyfishinPam
Super Nomad
Posts: 1727
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Loreto, BCS
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Mood: gone fishin'
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I think the parents of these children should be punished as well
sad situation and it is probably still happening. child labor is all too common in Mexico despite el ley federal del trabajo
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aldosalato
Nomad
Posts: 183
Registered: 10-20-2002
Location: La Paz
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Free trade
Mexico is trying to limit child labour and it has been investing more in education, basic health and vaccines during past years. Still much more has
to be done no doubts.
But one of the best way to limit child labour ten years from now is through export and through domestic economic development.
Sorry but it is a tough world out there and if Mexico does a good job in agriculture it is just good for both US and Mexico because Mexico still buy
more US products than anybody else in the world.
Mexico needs to export in order to grow and create better salaries for their workers.
All developed countries like US, Europe and Japan subsidise their agriculture and this limit growth in poor countries and increase illegal
immigration.
In example Domestic sugar in US cost twice than in Brazil because of tariffs.
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Taco de Baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1913
Registered: 4-14-2004
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, CA
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Mood: Dreamin' of Baja
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Picking Friut
I feel your pain Don Jorge.
Several years ago Calavo came out to pick my dad's small 2.5 acre grove of avocados in San Juan Capistrano. They picked the largest poundage they had
ever picked before (50,000 pounds!). By the time they deducted their picking, hauling and advertising costs, we got a BILL for $750! 
I don't know how anyone can even afford to be a farmer in California anymore.
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