[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 15 (Monday, February 5, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              STOP THE ATTACK ON AMERICA'S AVOCADO GROWERS

                                 ______


                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 1, 1996

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, America's avocado growers are threatened 
with extinction. Why? The Department of Agriculture is likely to modify 
the quarantine on Mexican Hass avocados. The quarantine was placed in 
1914 to protect our avocado crops from Mexican pests and fruit flies. 
The USDA believes that Mexico can eradicate their serious pest problem. 
But, science has proven that Mexico has failed to destroy pests for 
years. NAFTA specifically left the quarantine intact, because Mexican 
pests would devastate American avocados.
  Avocado growers in my district are ringing my phone off the hook. 
They fear that this Clinton administration action will destroy their 
crops and destroy their lives.
  Mexican pest-infested avocados have already been smuggled across our 
border. Most recently, on January 5, 1996, the U.S. Customs Service 
confiscated and destroyed 3,337 pounds of Mexican Hass avocados at the 
Otay Mesa commercial facility in San Diego County. The driver, who had 
previously been arrested for the same offense, admitted to similar 
smuggling activities in recent months. Although U.S. Customs officials 
thought they were seizing a truck loaded with drugs, they definitely 
touched on a problem of significant concern to California's avocado-
growing region.
  We must stop this from happening every day. Stop the Clinton 
administration's assault on California jobs. Join me in stopping the 
USDA's attack on America's avocado growers.

                          ____________________