Coachella and Arizona Date growers unite to pursue federal funding for global market expansion

Coachella Calley and Arizona date growers are forming a partnership in an effort to receive federal funding.  

We spoke to farmers from our region and Yuma, Arizona who shared how this funding could help them expand sales overseas.

"Our costs are increasing tremendously with the inflation and a lot of the domestic regulations," said Hadley's Date Gardens President, Albert Keck. "So it's important for us to be able to get good prices for our product, and when you're competing in the global economy, it's very difficult."

Keck and his family have been farming in the Coachella Valley for about 80 years. 

He says this is the first time he’s witnessed a formal partnership between California and Arizona date growers. That alliance is now known as the ‘American Date Industry Export Trade Association.’

"The government is allocating additional funds to what they call 'specialty crops.'" says David Anderson with Arizona's Bard Valley Date Growers.

Turns out, the famed Coachella Valley ‘date’ is considered a 'specialty crop.'

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating $100 million through their 'Regional Agricultural Promotion Program' to help farmers expand their specialty crop sales overseas. 

The American Date Industry Export Trade Association, also known as 'ADIETA' is planning to apply for those funds. 

"Those funds then are utilized by our group to go to market in a manner that would identify certain certain target markets. It could be Japan, it could be Southeast Asia. So our group would then attend trade shows. Visit with customers and foreign markets, as a group, as opposed to individuals," said Anderson.

Coachella Valley date farmers emphasizing that agriculture is the second largest economic driver in the valley. 

"While date palms are certainly pretty ornamental trees, they employ thousands of people in the valley. And this is a very, very important industry, for the well being of the citizens of the Coachella Valley," said Anderson.

Although it’s uncertain if ‘ADIETA’ will qualify for federal funding USDA Administrator, Daniel B. Whitley is encouraging farmers to diversify their markets. 

"We don't want to rely on the same markets and have a disruption and not have a place to go. But we also want to take advantage of some things that we know are very, very appetizing to American Agriculture, we see a lot of growth potential in Africa, we see growth potential in Southeast Asia," said Whitley.

Farmers hope increased revenue could ultimately trickle down to farm workers' pay as well.