AMARILLO, TX – Texas retailers want locally grown produce, and Texas A&M AgriLife is working to make that happen.
Dr. Bill McCutchen, Texas A&M AgriLife Research executive associate director in College Station, and Joseph Bunting, United Supermarkets produce director from Lubbock, talked about the need for Texas-grown produce at a recent Summer Crops Field Day near Bushland.
“Studies show 75 percent of shoppers select their grocery store based on the produce and the quality and freshness of that section,” Bunting said. “Second is convenience and third is price, but quality and freshness are the main drivers to a grocery store.
“We look to buy local first, then domestic, and if we can’t get those, we look at importing,” he told the crowd. “Currently, we have someone who grows squash and turnips for us. Another producer grows pecans, watermelons and cantaloupes. Another grows russet potatoes for us.”
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