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There is a very serious threat looming in the near future for the local growers of exotic fruits who are trying to find markets for their goods on the Mainland.
The USDA is in the process of evaluating a petition by Thailand to enable Thai fruits like pineapple, mangosteen, rambutan, etc. to be directly exported to Mainland markets.
The really stupid part of the USDA rules is that in an effort to be "neutral", they can't take into consideration that Hawai'i growers want the same deal but have been unable to get the same consideration as Thailand.
What the hecuba is going on? Isn't Hawai'i a State of the Union? Why SHOULDN'T the USDA give Hawai'i preference over any foreign country to allow Hawai'i growers to help sustain its economy through the production of fruits for export? Seems like the "free traders" are only looking at what a deal like this will do for THEM, and certainly not thinking about what's good for small businesses in their own country.
Miulang
The USDA is in the process of evaluating a petition by Thailand to enable Thai fruits like pineapple, mangosteen, rambutan, etc. to be directly exported to Mainland markets.
Regulators say that they're required by the International Plant Protection Convention, an international treaty, to entertain Thailand's request to export fruit to the United States. Under the treaty, the U.S. plant inspection service says it can't base its decision on economic concerns. Instead, its actions must be based solely on issues pertaining to health and safety risks, such as whether Thailand's plan would adequately keep pests out of the United States.
But Hawaii farmers say that the rule would hurt pineapple growers and be patently unfair to local producers of exotic fruits, such as mangosteen, who are not allowed to export their products to the mainland because of plant inspection service rules. The value of sales of Hawaii tropical specialty fruits hit a record $2.7 million last year, according to the USDA.
Finally, there is the issue of protecting Hawaii and the mainland from invasive species, which the Hawaii contingent says the proposed rule fails to address.
But Hawaii farmers say that the rule would hurt pineapple growers and be patently unfair to local producers of exotic fruits, such as mangosteen, who are not allowed to export their products to the mainland because of plant inspection service rules. The value of sales of Hawaii tropical specialty fruits hit a record $2.7 million last year, according to the USDA.
Finally, there is the issue of protecting Hawaii and the mainland from invasive species, which the Hawaii contingent says the proposed rule fails to address.
What the hecuba is going on? Isn't Hawai'i a State of the Union? Why SHOULDN'T the USDA give Hawai'i preference over any foreign country to allow Hawai'i growers to help sustain its economy through the production of fruits for export? Seems like the "free traders" are only looking at what a deal like this will do for THEM, and certainly not thinking about what's good for small businesses in their own country.
Miulang
And if Hawai'i fruits have to be irradiated, I sure hope the FDA is going to demand the same type of treatment for Thai fruits, I mean in the interest of "fairness" 
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