University of Arizona’s goal of the extensive study on bell peppers and cucumbers was to evaluate and understand market trends as they relate to competition between various domestic and international growing regions. This study was created for FPAA members – Fresh Produce Association of the Americas – with the full report pending release for media and the public.
The study showed that consumers seem to be driving the market for high-quality greenhouse and shade house peppers and cucumbers. Colored peppers from Mexico demonstrate a strong preference from consumers, retailers, and wholesalers. Mexican cucumbers, English, Persian and mini cucumbers have continued to grow market share due to prime growing conditions and superior packing standards. The Super Select “slicer” cucumber from Mexico continues to set the standard.
University of Arizona and FPAA – Fresh Produce Association of the Americas – relied on Agtools for “Real Time” Market Data Analysis. Agtools a data science company that is focused on the application of BIG DATA to solve major problems of supply chain starting with Food and Agriculture”. Collaborating with the Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics at The University of Arizona in a knowledge exchange initiative in which “real time” data was provided to assist in diverse investigation and research projects will be one of many in the future.
“Agtools® provided the perfect suite of data streams, sorted in an intelligent way, to help make sense of a complex market. The data shows clearly, for instance, how Mexican colored bell peppers command a higher market price than green bell peppers, and what this has meant in how retailers and other buyers allocate their purchasing decisions among supply regions,” said Lance Jungmeyer, President of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.
Agtools® provided an excellent platform to access both “real-time” information as well as historical series. “Feeding data to the Agtools® platform streamlined the data collection process for my analysis and allowed me to focus efforts on investigating market issues rather than data harvesting,” said Dan Scheitrum, Assistant Professor Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics.
“In the rapidly evolving food and agriculture industry our researchers depend on gaining fast and easy access to critical data. They are able to locate this data in one location saving them time which gives more importance to analyzing patterns and trends to engage our stakeholders on productive conversations across many areas and levels of influence,” commented Martha Montoya, Agtools CEO. As the daughter of researchers and university owners, Montoya has a keen understanding of reliable and fast access to data, “My father and his colleagues spent more time searching for data, leaving them less time to analyze and arrive at sound conclusions that policy makers or industry leaders relied on. My vision is for Agtools to facilitate fast and reliable data today and in the future.”
About University of Arizona College of Agriculture & Life Sciences:
With an education and research portfolio that stretches from soil sciences to resource management, to retailing, and from beneath the soil to outer space, the University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers 20 undergraduate degree programs across four schools and six departments. CALS research touches on nearly every aspect of modern life and has played a pivotal role in Arizona’s and the global economy over the course of its 134-year history.
About FPAA:
Founded in Nogales, Arizona, in 1944, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas has grown to become one of the most influential agricultural groups in the United States. Today, the FPAA provides a powerful voice for improvement and sustainability, serving the needs of more than 100 North American companies involved in the growth, harvest, marketing, import, and distribution of Mexican produce.
About Agtools:
www.ag.tools Agtools, Inc. – a Microsoft Machine Learning and AI Award Winner – is a rapidly growing SaaS business intelligence solution company driving efficiency within the global food and agricultural supply chain. At a billion transactions per second, agtools® offers a solution to the challenge of accessing real-time data needed for short- and long-term business decisions which are causally related to revenue, costs, and overall efficiency. The company offers data and analytics for farmers, buyers, distributors, retailers, government agencies, financial firms, and other stakeholders to manage volatile and high velocity product categories. Agtools® leverages endless sector knowledge for improving bottom lines. The company is headquartered in Orange, Calif.
