"The grape boycott scared the heck out of the farmers, all of us," said one major grower.
Global supplies of cotton have fallen recently because of droughts in China and Australia, which are major growers.
Glastonbury was also a major grower of broad leaf tobacco.
Despite this initial resistance, the peelers was eventually adopted by major growers of the region.
He served as a director for several companies, and his own was a major grower in the Mildura area.
"The major growers decided this is the kind of tomato we want on the market," Mr. Jonas said.
In recent years, Nir Oz has become a major grower of asparagus for export.
An association of major growers agreed to support legislation which provided for recognition of farm worker unions in January 1971.
The decrease, he said, was significant because most of the loss involved "major growers" who made up a large segment of the industry.
Bulgarian Turks are major growers of tobacco, an important cash crop, and their sudden exodus punched a hole in the fall harvest.