US: Tomato grower hikes pay while saving water

San Antonio-based NatureSweet Tomatoes reported increasing net wages for unionised employees this past year while also finding new ways to reduce water consumption.

The company stated in its sixth annual sustainability report that its facilities in Mexico improved the amount of water used for irrigation by two percent in 2013. Overall irrigation improvements were implemented throughout the facilities in Mexico by replacing outdated systems as needed with new innovative systems.

At the same time, average net wages, including bonuses, for unionised associates increased 14 percent from 2012.

The company expanded its total acreage last year with the acquisition of Arizona-based EuroFresh Farms.

NatureSweet operates five facilities in Mexico and two in Arizona where it employs more than 6,000 people who grow, harvest and package the tomatoes that are sold at major grocers, mass retailers, club stores and food service operators in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Click here to read the 2013 Sustainability Report (PDF). To find out more about NatureSweet, please visit NatureSweet.com.