Pharr, Texas – Surrounded by brightly displayed fresh fruits and vegetables, the City of Pharr kicked-off the start of the 2019-2020 Produce Season at the Pharr International Bridge alongside dignitaries and produce growers, importers, distributors, and consumers from the United States and Mexico.
“Pharr takes great pride in being the largest land port of entry for fruits and vegetables,” remarked Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D. at the start of the event. “We have invested in our bridge infrastructure and technology, continue to increase our produce imports, improve crossings and wait times of commercial vehicles and have worked closely with our partners at the state and federal levels to ensure that our port of entry continues to expand capacity and meet the demands of our growing economy,” he continued. “Produce plays an integral role in our regional and international economy, and here in Pharr we are proud to be the gateway for these products as they enter into the United States and get distributed to the rest of the nation,” he added.
The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge has evolved into the largest land port for fruits and vegetables in the nation, surpassing Nogales, Arizona as the leading port of entry for Mexican produce and goods. Currently, the Pharr International Bridge crosses more than 60% of all the fresh produce coming from Mexico through Texas land ports of entry.
“The Pharr International Bridge has forged strong partnerships on both sides of the border with distributors, growers, and importers, to ensure that we are meeting the demands of the industry,” said Pharr Bridge Director Luiz Bazan. “Although we experienced a few rough months during the threatened closing of the border, we came up with innovative schedules for our commercial trucks which paid off,” he continued. “Our figures show that we have already exceeded the number of trucks and produce that entered through Pharr this year compared to the same period last year,” added Bazan. “Pharr continues to invest, plan, and work together with all our partners to expand our opportunities.”
The U.S. has consistently remained Mexico’s No. 1 trading partner for produce and goods and Pharr’s ideal geographical location has resulted in not only a great partnership between the two countries, but also in the growth of their produce trading capacity.
