Scott Crownover and Vaughn Fletcher visiting Israel.

As broker representatives who supply cuttings to growers. McHutchison's Scott Crownover and Vaughn Fletcher got to inspect the source for themselves and vouch for the quality growers will receive. This was their first trip to the Middle East.

"We represent the Agrexco group and sell unrooted cuttings from Cohen, Hishtil and Jaldety," Fletcher says. "I would be remiss if I did not mention the Danziger company, which is not an Agrexco partner, but an important plant supplier from Israel, as well. The production facilities were as good as I expected -- standard sanitation protocols, tissue cultured stock, outstanding structures for production and shipping. I was surprised by the amount of contract growing the Agrexco group does for other breeding companies throughout the world."

Before the trip, Crownover says he did not realize Agrexco was such a large company. "The trip was great. There is a lot of potential for them in the United States," he says. "The one interesting thing is their labor costs are quite a bit more expensive than Central America, so I wonder how they compete so well. The migront labor issue (Thai) over there is much different than our situation with Mexico. It is regulated down to the housing arrangements and how many each company can have."

The hotel they stayed in was right on the beach in Tel Aviv.

Fletcher says he highly recommends the trip to others because of Israel's horticultural diversity and historical and religious significance.

"The horticultural and agricultural industry is very diverse with agronomic crops such as cotton and wheat, date palms, olives, vegetables, assorted fruits and horticultural nursery stock, wholesale greenhouse production, cut flowers, geraniums and assorted herbs, flowers and foliage plants," he says. "The system is very impressive and the packaging and transport of the product to the seaport in Tel Aviv for ocean freight shipping and packing terminal for air shipments is highly organized and very efficient."

Fletcher also was impressed by Jerusalem's beauty and hilly country, along with the trees and holy sites. "Scott and I had a private tour following our supplier tours with an Israeli guide who knew the territory and was a great historian. His commentary added so much to each holy site visit."