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Create a list of 10 exporters/ Growers of the following item that export into the US from around the world: Green eggplant
Hello! Thanks for your request for 10 growers/exporters of green eggplant into the U.S. from around the world. The short version is that after searching extensively through industry reports, USDA sources, articles, grower/exporter lists, and grower/exporter and retailer websites, I’ve determined that the information you requested is not publicly available. This is because green eggplant, also known as Thai green eggplant, is primarily produced in Thailand and other Asian countries which are precluded from exporting to the United States.
I was able to learn that some Mexican and Honduran companies have been growing Asian vegetables, potentially including Thai green eggplant; however, after an exhaustive search in English and Spanish, I was unable to locate any of those companies. U.S. imports of Thai green eggplant may be prohibited, so it is possible that companies do not advertise that they produce and export it to the U.S. I also found websites that sell Thai green eggplant seeds and online groceries that sell the vegetables, but limited information about the source of those seeds or vegetables. Below you will find a deep dive of my methodology, findings and suggestions for additional research.
METHODOLOGY
First, I confirmed the definition of green eggplant, which commonly refers to the Thai green eggplant. Then, I reviewed this USDA list to confirm which countries can export eggplant of any type to the U.S. I quickly confirmed that Asian countries like Thailand are not allowed to export to the U.S.
Next, I ran an extensive search in English and Spanish to find growers and exporters of "green eggplant" and "Thai green eggplant." I ran my search in Spanish because I speak that language and because my research indicated that Mexico and Honduras may export green eggplant. Finally, I reviewed your previous requests to determine the eggplant growers you already have. I confirmed that none of those companies sell Thai green eggplant.
HELPFUL FINDINGS
MARKET OVERVIEW
The total market of all eggplant exporters was worth $439.9 million in 2015, which was a -6.9% decrease compared to levels in 2011. The U.S. is the highest exporter on the world market, but the rest of this report will focus only on exporters to the U.S.
Countries that can export eggplant of all types to the U.S. include: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, and Trinidad and Tobago. Please note that Asian countries that would be most likely to produce green eggplant are not on that list.
CHALLENGES IN LOCATING GROWERS/EXPORTERS
After an exhaustive search in English and Spanish through industry reports, USDA sources, articles, grower/exporter lists, and grower/exporter and retailer websites, I determined that growers and exporters do not list green eggplant on their websites. To ensure I was answering you question thoroughly, I also checked all of the companies listed in your previous request on white eggplant. Notably, those that specifically list white eggplant do not list green eggplant or Thai eggplant; those include: Agrupo Adra S.A., La Union Alhondiga, Canadian Fruit & Produce Company Ltd., Wholesum Harvest, and Albe Farms.
I next searched for evidence that green eggplant is exported to the U.S. Articles on Fresh Fruit Portal and La Prensa confirm that Mexican and Honduran growers are exporting Asian exotic vegetables like Thai green eggplant to the U.S. However, neither of these articles listed any specific companies and the articles themselves only indirectly referenced Thai green eggplant as a possible product. This may be because exporting Thai green eggplant to the U.S. is actually prohibited, per University of Melbourne article on Eggplants that states under a section on "Sonlanum melongea" and Solanum torvum," aka green eggplants, that "importation of this species into the USA is prohibited."
A 2010 article by New York company Serious Eats also mentions that the Thai pea eggplant had been "banned from the United States." Interestingly, Thai Food Online, a UK-based Thai food supplier specifically mentioned that in the U.S. green eggplant is "not always used in Thai restaurants and it is common practice to replace it with the large purple eggplants from the U.S." The La Prensa article does mention that in the past, 2011-2013, containers with Asian fruits and vegetables from Honduran growers were intercepted for carrying pests. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any U.S. government information or more recent sources confirming that Thai green eggplant are prohibited in the United States. It may be that banning eggplants from Asian countries reflects an implicit ban on green eggplants.
DOMESTIC SUPPLIERS MARKET: SEEDS AND PRODUCE
While I know you are not interested in sellers, I have provided the following examples to indicate how suppliers of green eggplants and consumers are securing the product given how hard it is to import.
In my research, I found a few companies that specialize in selling Thai green eggplant seeds. Kitazawaseed that appears to produce its own seeds in the U.S. Rare Seeds sells a variety of green eggplant seeds that they collected when traveling in Asia. Stores on Etsy like NonglukTaiWood also sell green eggplant seeds, but state that U.S importers should check in they need an import permit from USDA, as the seeds ship from Thailand.
I found a couple Thai groceries that sell Thai green egg plants on a seasonal basis. Temple of Thai sells Thai green eggplants that are produced in the U.S. Import Food offers fresh and preserved Thai green eggplant. While, they have no concrete information about where their products are sourced, it seems that they may import them from Thailand. They may share more information if contacted. Their email is info@importfood.com and their phone number is 425-687-1708.
POSSIBLE CONTINUED RESEARCH
In understanding what types of information are and are not publicly available on this topic, I’ve suggested a few other routes you may be interested in researching:
1) You may be interested in digging further into the historical and current reasons why the U.S. does not import eggplant from Asia: Please provide an overview of why the U.S. does not import eggplant from Asia.
2) You may also be interested in the overall projections for the U.S. import market for eggplant in general: What is the five year growth rate for U.S. imports of eggplant? Please segment by type of eggplant if available.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, after searching extensively through through industry reports, USDA sources, articles, grower/exporter lists, and grower/exporter and retailer websites, a direct answer to your question is not publicly available. This is because green eggplant, also known as Thai green eggplant, is primarily produced in Thailand and other Asian countries which are precluded from exporting to the United States. However I learned that there are reports of Mexican and Honduran growers exporting Asian vegetable, such as green eggplant, to the U.S. Moreover, domestic companies do sell green eggplant seeds and vegetables in the U.S.
If you’d like to continue research on any of the other topics I’ve outlined above, please let us know! Thanks for using Wonder!