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For more information about the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and about training and career opportunities, please contact:

Undergraduate:
ugarec@ag.arizona.edu
Phone: (520) 621-6244

Graduate:
garec@ag.arizona.edu
Phone: (520) 621-2421

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Western Grower's Association

Fresh Produce
Meeting Year-Round Consumer Demand

Fixing affordable, healthy meals every day of the year has gotten easier--thanks to changes in the fresh produce industry. Most supermarkets now carry packaged items, such as bagged salads and stir-fry vegetables (no chopping required), while offering a large array of fresh produce year-round. Consumers are not only willing to pay for the convenience and availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, they are beginning to expect reasonably priced, fresh items each week of the year.

To meet this year-round demand, agribusinesses are growing crops in different geographic areas. For example, growers in Salinas, CA produce most of the lettuce consumed in the United States. During specialized growing seasons, they also produce and ship lettuce from Huron, CA and Yuma, AZ. By producing in and shipping from these different areas, agribusinesses can supply bagged salads and other lettuces to the North American market 365 days of the year.

These changes in the fresh produce industry require managers who can coordinate, control, and direct multiple activities in a cost-effective manner. Training in agribusiness management equips future managers with valuable decision tools for allocating time, people, equipment, and products to maintain a competitive edge in a global economy.

Faculty Involvement
Paul Wilson studies the economics of agribusiness organization and management. His research focuses on governance costs in the fresh produce industry and strategic investment decisions by agricultural firms.

Student Involvement
Jorge Escobell (class of 1985) is the director of operations for North American Produce, Inc, a California processor and shipper of fresh cut produce. Being bilingual, Jorge has used his agribusiness economics training in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Jorge manages people and products over a large area, coordinating the flow of fresh produce from the farm to the supermarket shelf.

Mark Beeler (class of 1988) is now a grower for Frank Capurro & Son, a California-based agribusiness firm specializing in fresh produce. He farms in the Coachella Valley in Southern California. Mark worked for three years as a grower representative for Capurro where he coordinated the growing, harvesting, and shipping of highly perishable products from Mexico and California to markets throughout North America and England.

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