The U.S. government said Monday it is immediately placing a 17% duty on most fresh Mexican tomatoes after negotiations ended without an agreement to avert the tariff.
The U.S. government said Monday it is immediately placing a 17% duty on most fresh Mexican tomatoes after negotiations ended without an agreement to avert the tariff.
Yes they can. See Almeria, Spain. Similar to Arizona/NM weather, and as dry. Also, the Dutch do it, in climate controlled greenhouses, price competitive.
It can definitely be done.
The temperature in Almeria has never gone below freezing in all of recorded history, which is not the case anywhere in Arizona or New Mexico. Even Yuma, AZ goes well below freezing sometimes, and winter averages are well below the comfort threshold for tomatoes, where in Almeria average lows are warmer. And the summer highs in the US southwest (tomatoes also suffer and will not set fruit when temps are consistently above 95° (35°C) blow Almeria and everywhere in Europe out of the water.
I’m not saying you can’t grow in greenhouses and still be able to afford tomatoes, but there’s no situation in which growing in a greenhouse doesn’t cost more than growing outdoors in a suitable climate. Mexico has that suitable climate year-round, and the US does not, and as a result this tariff on Mexican tomatoes is going to significantly raise tomato prices in the US.