Zhengfei Guan

0000-0003-0777-6410

Florida Strawberry Production Costs and Trends

Zhengfei Guan, Feng Wu, and Alicia Whidden

An Overview of Strawberry Production in Mexico

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, J. Jaime Arana-Coronado, and Melvin Garcia-Nazariega

Import Growth and the Impact on the Florida Strawberry Industry

Zhengfei Guan, Dong Hee Suh, Hayk Khachatryan, and Feng Wu

Comparison of Labor Costs between Florida and Mexican Strawberry Industries

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, yMelvin Garcia-Nazariega

Strawberry is a labor-intensive crop that requires a significant amount of labor. In Florida, labor is the largest cost item in the strawberry production budget, accounting for almost 40% of total production costs (Guan, Wu, and Whidden 2017). The objective of this study is to compare labor costs between Florida and Mexican strawberry industries.

Growing Pomegranates in Florida: Establishment Costs and Production Practices

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, and Gary Vallad

The study described in this 6-page fact sheet written by Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, and Gary Vallad and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department provides a description of pomegranate production practices and preliminary cost estimates to inform investment and production decisions when growers look to diversify and grow pomegranate as a niche crop.

Tomato Suspension Agreements and the Effects on Market Prices and Farm Revenue

Zhengfei Guan, Dong Hee Suh, yFeng Wu

Labor Requirements and Costs for Harvesting Tomatoes

Zhengfei Guan, Feng Wu, and Steven Sargent

The US Tomato Industry: An Overview of Production and Trade

Zhengfei Guan, Feng Wu, yTrina Biswas

An Overview of the US Bell Pepper Industry

Trina Biswas, Zhengfei Guan, and Feng Wu

The H-2A Program and Immigration Reform in the United States

Berdikul Qushim, Zhengfei Guan, and Fritz M. Roka

Florida Strawberry Growers Need More Early Yield to Improve Profitability

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, and Vance Whitaker

The Migration Pattern of Florida Seasonal Farmworkers

Zhengfei Guan, Berdikul Qushim, Feng Wu, and Alicia Whidden

Labor Shortages in the Florida Strawberry Industry

Trina Biswas, Feng Wu, and Zhengfei Guan

An Overview of the Mexican Blueberry Industry

Feng Wu and Zhengfei Guan

Blueberries are a healthy source of antioxidants and vitamins. Global demand and production have been increasing rapidly over the last decade. This publication provides an overview of the Mexican blueberry industry in terms of production, price, trade, and cultural practices. It also sheds light on factors that have contributed to the fast growth of the blueberry industry in Mexico.   

Government Support in Mexican Agriculture: The Agri-Food Productivity and Competitiveness Program

Feng Wu, Ariel Soto-Caro, and Zhengfei Guan

The Mexican government has various subsidy programs under its National Development Plan. This publication focuses on The Program of Agri-Food Productivity and Competitiveness, one of the major agricultural subsidy programs administered by the Ministry of Agriculture that subsidize economic activities in the agri-food supply chain. The publication describes the structure of the program and the subsidy rules and amounts.

An Introduction to Florida Commodity Enterprise Budgets: A Tool to Improve Farm Business Planning

Ariel Singerman, Kimberly L. Morgan, Kimberly L. Morgan, Tara Wade, Kevin Athearn, Chris Prevatt, Chris Prevatt, Ariel Singerman, Edward A. Evans, Trent Blare, Trent D. Blare, Hayk Khachatryan, yZhengfei Guan

Enterprise budgets help farmers and ranchers estimate expenses, potential revenue, and profit. UF/IFAS provides enterprise budgets for a variety of Florida-grown commodities. These are typically built collaboratively by economists, horticulturists and agronomists, ranchers, and growers. This publication highlights key aspects of the enterprise budget as a planning tool for farm businesses. Includes links to UF/IFAS enterprise budgets and related documents specific to several Florida commodities.

Protected Agriculture in Mexico

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, and Kuan-Ming Huang

Mexico is a market power in the US produce market. Protected agriculture accelerated the rapid growth and transformation of the Mexican produce industry. This publication provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth analysis of protected agriculture in Mexico to help understand this fast-growing sector and the driving forces behind its expansion.

The Decline of the US Cucumber and Squash Industry

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, and Kuan-Ming Huang

The US production of cucumbers and squash has been declining over the last two decades while imports have grown significantly. In particular, imports from Mexico have surpassed US domestic production and have become a major source of cucumber and squash supply in the US market. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of cucumber and squash production and trade to help policymakers, business communities, and researchers understand the structural changes in the market.

A Review of Strawberry Production and Price Trends from 2010 to 2022

Tara Wade, Kelvin Amon, Zhengfei Guan, and Wael Elwakil

This publication provides information on conventional fresh strawberry acreage, volume, and pricing for California and Florida from 2010 through 2022. It is one of a series of EDIS publications that illustrate trends in Florida’s five most economically important specialty crops, excluding citrus: strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelons, and sweet corn. The information in this publication will be useful to producers, Extension agents, and others interested in trends concerning specialty crop commodities. It serves as a single location where valuable information about the specialty crop market and production trends can be found.

The United States Orange Industry: Declining Production and Climbing Imports

A. Malek Hammami, Yi Li, and Zhengfei Guan

The US orange industry has been grappling with declining production since the early 2000s due to the outbreak of the Huanglongbing disease and various other challenges. To meet the market demand, the United States increasingly relies on imports, notably those from Mexico and Chile. This publication further explores the factors contributing to this trend and discusses potential solutions. 

A Review of Bell Pepper Production and Price Trends from 2010 to 2022

Tara Wade, Kelvin Amon, Zhengfei Guan, and Craig Frey

In the United States, bell peppers are cultivated for both fresh and processed markets, with California, Florida, and Georgia producing most of the crop. Production varies across states, and, in Florida, bell pepper production varies by region within the state with growing seasons ranging from July to March for northern Florida and August to February for southern Florida. This publication provides information on conventional bell pepper acreage, volume, and pricing for the top three producing states: California, Florida, and Georgia. It will be useful to producers, Extension agents, and others interested in trends concerning specialty crop commodities. It serves as a single location where important information about the specialty crop market and production trends can be found.

An Overview of the Avocado Market in the United States

A. Malek Hammami, Kuan-Ming Huang, Zhengfei Guan

Driven by its healthy and nutritious attributes, the US avocado market has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of US avocado production and trade. The US avocado market, marked by the decline of already limited US domestic production, is increasingly reliant on imports, especially those from Mexico. This overview aims to inform industry stakeholders and policymakers of the current state of the industry and offer insights into its sustainability.

An Introduction to Economic Analysis of Pest Management: Concepts of Partial Budgeting Analysis

Yetian Cai, Yi Li, Weizhe Weng, and Zhengfei Guan

Pests have long posed a serious challenge in agricultural ecosystems, inflicting substantial economic losses on a global scale. In agricultural production, pests are often associated with crop yield losses, leading to a reduction in farm profits. This initial publication in the An Introduction to Economic Analysis of Pest Management series aims to educate agricultural producers, Extension agents, and researchers in other disciplines about partial budgeting analysis. Partial budgeting analysis is a fundamental tool widely used to analyze the economic viability of adopting various pest-management strategies. 

An Introduction to Economic Analysis of Pest Management: A Case Study of Nematode Management

By Yi Li, Yetian Cai, Weizhe Weng, Johan Desaeger, and Zhengfei Guan

The economic performance of pest management practices is a critical factor when farmers make adoption decisions. Partial budget analysis is a widely used tool to evaluate the financial effects of different management practices in agricultural production. It provides an economic rationale for selecting the optimal treatment by evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the treatment. This publication explains how to employ partial budget analysis using a real-world example. It provides a step-by-step guide examining the costs and benefits of two different approaches, fumigation and nematicides, to manage nematodes on Florida's tomato farms.

The US Strawberry Industry: An Overview of Production and Trade

Yi Li, Jianhui Liu, A. Malek Hammami, yZhengfei Guan

This publication provides an overview of the US fresh strawberry industry, highlighting key trends in production, trade, and competitiveness. Fresh strawberries represent one of the most economically important specialty crops in the United States, with production valued at $3.3 billion in 2023. While domestic output has grown steadily—driven by California and Florida—imports, particularly from Mexico, have surged, shifting the United States from a net exporter to a net importer since 2012. It explores the structural challenges faced by US growers, including labor shortages, rising costs, and increasing foreign competition. It also discusses potential strategies for maintaining industry viability, such as mechanization, labor access, breeding innovations, and market differentiation. This analysis supports policymakers, trade analysts, and growers in understanding the evolving dynamics of the sector and identifying pathways for sustainable growth.

Florida Strawberry Producers' Experiences with Anthracnose and Botrytis Fruit Rot, and Producers' Use of the Strawberry Advisory System

Tatiana Borisova, Zhengfei Guan, Ekaterina Vorotnikova, Natalia Peres, and John VanSickle

An Overview of the US and Mexico Strawberry Industries

Feng Wu, Zhengfei Guan, and Alicia Whidden

Top Challenges Facing the Florida Strawberry Industry: Insights from a Comprehensive Industry Survey

Zhengfei Guan, Feng Wu, Alicia J. Whidden, yAlicia J. Whidden

Conservation Reserve Program: Overview and Discussion

Zhengfei Guan yJuhyan Oh

United States Biofuel Policies: Overview and Discussion

Zhengfei Guan and Juhyun Oh