PHARR — They are calling it a “record-smashing year.” According to Pharr city officials, the city’s seen what it considers a substantial increase in imports and exports at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, where 65% of the nation’s fresh produce is transported, since 2020 despite challenges from COVID-19 and inflation.
City officials along with Pharr bridge representatives hosted its annual event Thursday that celebrates the start of produce season. The event was held at the bridge where the city included its inaugural “Taste of Trade,” featuring local chefs cooking up dishes using the imported produce.
The participating restaurants were Altamar Seafood Bar, La Casa de la Abuela, Casa Madre Brunch & Grill, Tapioca Roots, Park Bench deli and others.
According to Luis Bazán, bridge director, the city of Pharr is hoping that this year’s produce season will continue to see an increase in imports.
“This is going to be probably one of the biggest produce seasons … we’re expecting a higher increase, maybe a 4% increase or so,” he said Thursday. “During the pandemic that was our best year for produce. People were more conscientious of eating healthy, a lot more people shopping at the grocery store stocking up on fresh produce. So actually the pandemic only raised the bar for produce crossing through Pharr.”
According to promotional material distributed at the event, the city of Pharr reported a 43.82% increase in the city’s top exports since 2020.
The top two exports in Pharr were natural gas and LNG, which amounted to $4.8 billion. Gasoline and other fuels amounted to $1.2 billion, the second biggest export.
By 2021 the top 29 exports in Pharr topped $100 million.
“Just in 2021 alone we crossed nearly 200,000 shipments of fresh produce grown in Mexico that makes its way to the United States through the Pharr international bridge,” Bazán said.
The city saw a 17.12% increase in imports since 2020.
TVs and computer monitors amounted to $3 billion in imports while avocados, dates, figs and pineapples amounted to nearly $2 billion. About $1.2 billion in strawberries and raspberries were imported through the bridge, as well as $1.1 billion in insulated wire and cable. The fifth and sixth highest imports were medical instruments, and electrical boards, panels and switches, respectively — both $1 billion worth.
“It does affect it in some way or another but we have to eat,” Bazán said about whether inflation has factored into any challenges the bridge has seen with imports and exports. “At the end of the day the Pharr international bridge is not just feeding Texas we’re feeding the entire United States, so regardless of inflation we still have to eat and we’re working every day with the industry to ensure prices are competitive but not overly priced.”
At the event, Pharr Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez touted the success the bridge has seen in growing its imports and exports over the last 10 years as the bridge continues to be the number one produce gateway in the nation.
To see more, view Monitor photojournalist Joel Martinez’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Touting past success, Pharr has high hopes for 2022-23 produce season
