07/23/08 Shipping Fruit Problems

Shipping Fruit Problems. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Getting your produce from point "A" to point "B" could likely get a bit stickier and more expensive according to Mark Powers, Vice President of the Northwest Horticulture Council. POWERS: We're one of TSA's new stakeholders, a term that tends to be applied with trade associations working with governments and the quickest answer I can give is that TSA is requiring screening of any cargo that is going in passenger airplanes. Yes the Transportation Security Administration or TSA is one in the same with the security folks we have to take our shoes off for in the airports. So not only are they required to screen our luggage, but all cargo being loaded onto planes. POWERS: In August of 2007, Congress passed a law; in there they set out time frames mandating that TSA screen this cargo that is going into passenger planes. In February of next year, 50% of the cargo has to be screened and in August of 2010, 100% of the cargo needs to be screened. Exactly how that is going to happen has not been decided. POWERS: That somehow right now is actually a real problem because of the manner in which our facilities are laid out and the lack of staff and equipment on air carriers or freight forwarders. We're very concerned that we won't be able to make the strict time frames in the supply chain that our industry needs to have in order to get quality product overseas. More tomorrow. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.