Posted on 06/07/2007 11:45:59 AM PDT by AuntB
Yuma, Ariz., farmers should exhale a small but short-lived sigh of relief over the news from Union Pacific that the railroad has backed off its initial plans to jointly bid with the Hutchinson Port Authority on a proposed port and rail line at Punta Colonet, Baja Calif., Mexico.
The proposed gargantuan-sized port would, in part, import foreign-made goods for distribution by rail to stores across the United States.
While Union Pacific had originally planned to bid on the railroad puzzle piece, the railroad focused, in part, on potential routes from Mexico into the U.S. through Yuma, Ariz.
Unfortunately, among the considered steel paths was prized farm ground, where an estimated 85 percent to 90 percent of the nation’s supply of winter vegetables for salad and other crops are grown on 75,000 to 80,000 acres.
Due to Yuma’s close proximity to the Mexican border, trains would likely not be allowed to travel less than 15 miles per hour because of the illegal immigration factor, thus negating the opportunity to load locally-grown farm products on train cars for U.S. and export destinations.
Yuma farmers should nap with one-eye-open, as Union Pacific is still open to possible project involvement.
Some estimates put the total economic value of Yuma agriculture at around $3 billion, roughly a third of Arizona agriculture’s $9.2 billion industry. Yet the price tag fades beside the green gazillion dollars that Union Pacific or other rail suitors could take to the bank in profits from moving Chinese imports through Punta Colonet and Yuma to stores dotting the 50 states.
Railroads helped build America, and to this day remain the most economically viable and sensible transportation nationwide. Moving products by rail across the West makes more sense than movement by semi-truck.
But in these days of profits first and mega-mergers to consume and obliterate the competition, Yuma agriculture could stand as the potential sacrificial lamb for “progress.”
The western vegetable industry is already beset by challenges, including low commodity prices; a fall 2006 E. coli scare that siphoned about $1 billion out of the West’s vegetable industry; tighter environmental regulations; evaporating water availability; and decreasing prospects for a dependable labor supply year after year.
Yet, Yuma’s veggie industry remains a strong economic driver — an efficient, well-tuned, vegetable-producing machine, with farmers adapting the latest technology to gain efficiencies and become even greater stewards of the land. The Punta Colonet port and potential rail traffic remain a threat to Yuma agriculture.
Highly involved Yuma agriculture leaders should be commended for standing their ground on several high profile threats to local agriculture in recent years, including the railroad, and the proposed expansion of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area into farm fields.
Perhaps farmers should don binoculars as the Punta Colonet project goes from idea to fruition, and further focus on how Yuma agriculture could be literally divided by a railroad through farm areas.
Such a scenario could likely create traffic backups at railroad crossings, interrupted irrigation schedules, constant ground vibrations to concrete irrigation canals, and prolonged delays moving workers and equipment from field to field.
I’m tired of giving America away for the almighty highest profit. While profit is what drives every company, perhaps sitting on a rural fence for a spell might invoke some pondering about the real value of one of this nation’s most endangered industries — agriculture.
A domestically produced food supply is a keystone to our nation’s national security. If Union Pacific does buy into the Punta Colonet project, let’s hope the tracks indeed bypass farm fields and travel a more deserted route
FYI
We are already importing more food than we export, not a good position to be in.
Am I missing something, or is Blake saying that having a rail line running through the middle of 80,000 acres of farmland will destroy the agricultural industry in Yuma? Is she not aware that the Southern Pacific line, as well as I-8 is already running through Yuma?
Jeff, I don’t know anything about this deal, just thought it might be of interest to those affected.
USDA Agricultural Monthly Report says otherwise.
Would you post a link for that please. I don’t find much USA grown produce.
This is nonsense. SOME shipment, such as the movement of bulk containers by rail makes sense, but trucking is more economical and versatile for most freight, including produce.
This article is long on emotion and short on facts.
The state of California grows more produce than most nations.
Depends on the destination. Terminal to terminal, rail shipping is far cheaper overall to major east coast cities.
True, for bulk shipments and where service is not an issue.
Thanks for the link. I’ve heard conflicting reports on the trade imports/exports. Although it states we have exported more than we import agriculturally, I heard that we have actually imported more food related products than we exported. In a quick look through the site I couldn’t find a way to break it down into food and non-food items.
This was originally concieved of as competition to the plan to bring asian goods into Mexico at the port of Lazaro Cardenas, which would then be put on the Kansas City Southern rail lines in Mexico and brought up thru Texas.
The AZ plan was for the asian goods to enter Mexico at the port of Punta Colonet. Mexico would build the rail to Yuma and Union Pacific would build the rail from Yuma to the inland port of Puerto Nuevo in Tucson. Additionally, some of those asian goods entering Mexico at Punta Colonet would go to/thru California's Inland Empire.
Everbody want a cut of the profits on shipping these goods.
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