Most of us eat some type of specialty crop every single day. Whether you’re eating your fruits and vegetables, or even using certain seasonings to help complete that perfect dish, you’re using specialty crops.
Txawm hais tias muaj kev nthuav dav ntawm cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb - nrog rau qhov tseeb lawv tam sim no muaj tus nqi lag luam ntawm $ 79.8 billion (uas suav txog ntau dua 16% ntawm tag nrho cov khoom siv ua liaj ua teb) - yog li feem ntau qhov kev ua liaj ua teb no tau saib tsis pom.
Nws yooj yim to taub yog vim li cas. "Cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb" yog lub ntsiab lus dav dav, thiab ib qho uas suav nrog ntau yam sib txawv. Raws li tsab cai Farm Bill 2004, cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb raug txhais raws li "txiv hmab txiv ntoo thiab zaub, ntoo txiv ntoo, txiv hmab txiv ntoo qhuav, horticulture, thiab cov qoob loo cog qoob loo (xws li floriculture). Txawm hais tias qhov no txhais tau dav dav, vim tias ntau yam khoom sib txawv tuaj yeem poob rau hauv "txiv hmab txiv ntoo" thiab "zaub." Thiab feem ntau, thaum peb tham txog kev ua liaj ua teb, qhov kev tsom xam pom nws tus kheej tsom feem ntau ntawm cov qoob loo lossis tsiaj ua liaj ua teb. Thaum cov qoob loo kab ua ib qho kev xaiv ob peb cov qoob loo uas feem ntau tau sau nrog kev sib xyaw thiab ua rau feem ntau ntawm Teb Chaws Asmeskas teb, cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb feem ntau pom hauv California thiab Florida.
Txawm li cas los xij, tus naj npawb ntawm cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb tau cog qoob loo ntau thiab ntau dua hauv thaj chaw thoob plaws Tebchaws Meskas. Kev kwv yees tsis ntev los no pom Tam sim no muaj ntau dua 184,000 cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb ua liaj ua teb hla ntau dua 10.4 lab acres ntawm thaj av. Txawm hais tias qhov tseeb tias Asmeskas cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb yog ib feem loj ntawm tag nrho Asmeskas kev ua liaj ua teb, nws tau ntsib ntau yam teeb meem loj.
U.S. producers often find themselves at a disadvantage on a global (and even domestic) scale because, in most areas across the country, year-round production is impossible. And, unlike with row crops, specialty crops can’t be raised in bulk and stored to be sold throughout the year due to freshness concerns. In addition, specialty crops are often much more weather sensitive than their counterparts. This makes them extremely vulnerable to instances like the recent extreme weather seen across the southern part of the U.S., one which resulted in specialty crop losses of more than $600 million.
Ua kom qhov teeb meem loj dua, kev tsim khoom hauv tsev kuj tau raug mob hnyav los ntawm kev ua lag luam tsis tu ncua. Tebchaws Asmeskas tseem pheej xa cov khoom tshwj xeeb cov qoob loo, uas ua rau cov nqi qis hauv tsev, thiab lwm lub tebchaws tau tsoo US-tsim tshwj xeeb cov qoob loo nrog cov nqi se siab. Lub caij no, Teb chaws Europe tau tshaj $ 4 billion nyob rau hauv tariffs rau ib tug xov tooj ntawm US cov khoom. Qhov cuam tshuam ntawm cov tariffs tuaj yeem yog qhov tseem ceeb, nrog NC State estimating sweet potato exports alone potentially seeing a reduction of $70 million.
And, as is the case with most things, specialty crops have been negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Before COVID-19 emerged last spring, nws tau kwv yees tias Florida strawberry ntau lawm ib leeg tsis muaj 30% ntawm kev ua haujlwm nws xav tau. Cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb yog ib qho ntawm cov kev siv zog ntau tshaj plaws ntawm kev ua liaj ua teb uas muaj niaj hnub no. Qhov no yog vim tias feem ntau cov haujlwm muaj kev cia siab hnyav rau H-2A cov neeg ua haujlwm ua liaj ua teb ib ntus. Thaum lub sijhawm muaj kev sib kis, ntau tus neeg ua haujlwm no raug txiav tawm los ntawm kev tuaj rau Tebchaws Meskas, thiab cov uas tau tso cai yuav tsum muaj kev pabcuam tshwjxeeb, vim cov neeg tsim khoom kuj yuav tsum muab cov neeg ua haujlwm no muaj vaj tsev nyob thiab. Txawm tias ua ntej muaj kev sib kis, txawm li cas los xij, qhov kev thov rau cov neeg ua haujlwm tau dhau mus dhau qhov khoom siv.
Thaum muaj ntau qhov kev sib tw, nws tsis yog txhua yam xov xwm phem rau cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb. Kev loj hlob txhua xyoo ntawm 2.6% yog kwv yees nyob rau hauv lub xyoo caum tom ntej, Thiab Cov nqi khoom muag tau nce ze li 40% txij li xyoo 2011. Thaum kawg, txawm li cas los xij, nws tseem yuav pom yog tias cov kev sib tw ntsib cov qoob loo tshwj xeeb yuav txwv qhov twg cov neeg tsim khoom muaj peev xwm coj kom zoo dua ntawm kev loj hlob.
Ntxiv innovation ntawm cov khoom manufacturers
Specialty crops are often sold in the form they are harvested, largely because aesthetics matter to many consumers. This has made developing harvesting equipment even more difficult, as most people don’t want to buy bruised or damaged fruits and vegetables. As a result, several manufacturers have found ways to develop machinery that can harvest these products in a gentle enough way, so as not to damage the product. Doing so has helped make the equipment more appealing and for some specialty crop products, such as potatoes, harvesting equipment has been around for ages. However, for most harvesting equipment is still relatively new and not as widely adopted.
While the mechanization of specialty crop harvesting has been slow and very difficult due to the nature of the crop and consumer expectations, a number of products are already on the market today, including harvesters from AEM member companies New Holland, Pellenc, Gregoire, The Morning Star Co. and Oxbo.
Feem ntau ntawm cov tshuab no tuaj yeem phim cov zis ntawm 20 tus neeg nyob rau ib teev. Qhov no mus ntev hauv kev pab daws cov neeg ua haujlwm tsis txaus uas qhov kev lag luam no ntsib, thaum tseem muab cov khoom noj muaj kev nyab xeeb dua thiab txhim khu kev qha. Hauv kev txo cov kev xav tau ntawm kev ua haujlwm, cov tshuab kuj tseem txhim kho cov khoom tsim tawm vim qhov txo nqi zog uas yuav xav tau. Tag nrho cov nyob rau hauv tag nrho, lawv ua rau kev lag luam ntau txaus nyiam los ntawm cov neeg tsim khoom sawv cev los ntawm kev txhim kho cov npoo thiab cov neeg ua haujlwm sawv cev vim txo qis zog ntawm lub cev thiab kev them nyiaj zoo dua, kev ua haujlwm zoo.
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM”s) Specialty Crops Leadership Group
The previously mentioned harvesting companies, along with John Deere (specialty crop tractors), Kubota (specialty crop tractors and sprayers), and GUSS Automation (autonomous orchard sprayers), comprise AEM’s newly formed Specialty Crop Leadership Group. The group was formed in alignment with AEM’s Ag Sector Board’s recently approved priority of expanding AEM’s reach and role into specialty crops. Ultimately, the purpose of this group is to help identify how AEM can better serve the specialty crop industry as a whole. Throughout the upcoming year, plans are in the works to educate both end user and regulators about specialty crops – specifically why specialty crops matter and the importance of making people aware of the technologies that exist.
Despite being often overlooked by the general public, specialty crops are now among the largest agricultural outputs in the U.S. today. And, as previously mentioned, both opportunities and challenges exist for what is one of the most labor-intensive industries around. However, AEM is committed to working with company leaders to better meet the needs, wants and demands of equipment end users who have helped make the specialty crop industry what it is today. Accomplishing all these things, and many more, is what AEM Leadership Groups are all about.
Xav paub ntau ntxiv txog AEM’s Specialty Crop Leadership Group thiab other leadership groups like it.
- Austin Gellings, Association of Equipment Manufacturers Agricultural Services Manager