Copyright 2000 Times Mirror Company
Los Angeles
Times
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May 13, 2000, Saturday, Ventura County
Edition
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 1; Zones Desk
LENGTH: 1209 words
HEADLINE:
VENTURA COUNTY NEWS;
BLOSSOMING MARKET;
ORANGES BOUND FOR
CHINA; GROWERS HOPE FOR WINDFALL
BYLINE: FRED ALVAREZ,
TIMES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SANTA PAULA
BODY:
Forklift driver Fernando Zapata shifted one
pallet after another of premium Valencia oranges from the belly of a Santa Paula
packinghouse to a 45-foot trailer, destined for the Port of Long Beach and a
slow boat to China.
Ever since the Chinese government opened its market
last year to U.S. citrus, Ventura County growers have waited to take part in the
potential windfall--estimated at $ 500 million nationwide over the next five
years.
That wait ended Friday at the Santa Paula Orange Assn., where
workers packed up and shipped out 23 tons of Ojai oranges to the Chinese port of
Guangzhou.
"Of course we're excited--there's big potential in that
market," said plant manager Maurice Meza, supervising the loading operation.
"Everybody is looking at it from the standpoint of being able to do more
business by expanding into China, and I think eventually everyone will get their
share."
As trade barriers fall, local growers stand ready to reap the
benefits of exporting produce to the world's most populous nation--a major first
step toward cementing U.S.-China trade relations.
Ventura County lemon
growers say access to China's 1.2 billion consumers can only bolster local
production--already tops among U.S. counties. And orange growers are counting on
the new market to revive an industry in which prices and demand have long been
stagnant.
"The orange business has been awful," Ventura citrus rancher
Paul Leavens said. "But I think now we can probably salvage the orange business
and continue to strengthen our standing in the lemon industry."
For
orange growers like Leavens, the most immediate benefit will come from increased
demand for fresh fruit. Because of limited demand, many growers have been able
to immediately market only a fraction of what they produce. They are then forced
to peddle the rest as juice or oil at far cheaper prices.
Leavens said
the key now is to convince lawmakers in Washington to grant China
permanent normal trade status, a step necessary to enable U.S.
businesses to take full advantage of the agreement negotiated last year to open
Chinese markets.
With a crucial vote on the issue scheduled for later
this month, Leavens said he will travel to Washington next week to testify
before Congress and lobby Ventura County's legislative delegation.
"I
feel very strongly that we need this outlet for our fruit," Leavens said. "We
need to continue the momentum or this whole thing could collapse."
Rep.
Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), who voted against granting China normal trade
relations each of the last two years, could not be reached Friday for comment.
But he has expressed concern about the impact of high Chinese tariffs on the
U.S. trade deficit and about China's record on civil rights.
While
lawmakers battle it out in Washington, California growers are particularly eager
to explore the fertile Chinese market for oranges, lemons and other citrus.
The inaugural China-bound shipment of 1,080 cartons--originating in
Tulare County--left Long Beach on March 24 and reached the port Dailan on April
17. It marked the first time that growers had been able to ship to China since
1980, when California fruit was quarantined because of Mediterranean fruit fly
infestations.
Other orders--from Riverside County and the Central
Valley--have gone to China since then.
Sunkist Growers, a Van Nuys-based
citrus cooperative, estimates the trade deal could generate as much as $ 100
million in additional sales for California growers in just the first year.
"It's a huge potential market," Sunkist spokeswoman Claire Peters said.
"Just to Hong Kong in 1998, Sunkist alone had over $ 82 million in sales. Add
mainland China to that and you're looking at a significant potential increase."
Santa Paula citrus rancher Richard Pidduck bristles at such talk. He
said the trade agreement will do little good unless Congress normalizes
relations with China and growers develop a marketing plan to funnel their fruit
into that country.
"It's really going to depend on how well we run our
business," he said. "Nothing is going to fall in our laps as a result of this."
The Santa Paula shipment was set to be loaded onto a freighter Friday
night and begin its 20-day journey to China today.
With the forklift
rumbling and workers scrambling, truck driver Tony Sacre waited patiently for
the cartons to be loaded so that he could drive them to Long Beach.
"I
think it's great; hopefully it will help growers move their produce," Sacre
said. "Obviously there are a lot of people in China. If everybody ate just one
orange, that would be great for business."
GRAPHIC:
PHOTO: Workers at the Santa Paula Orange Assn. sort fruit that will be shipped
to the Chinese port of Guangzhou. PHOTOGRAPHER: ANNE CUSACK / Los Angeles Times
PHOTO: Workers load the first shipment of Ventura County citrus to China.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ANNE CUSACK / Los Angeles Times PHOTO: Twenty-three tons of Ojai
oranges will leave today for China. Growers hope the new market will help revive
the orange industry. PHOTOGRAPHER: ANNE CUSACK / Los Angeles Times
LOAD-DATE: May 13, 2000 
