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RIDGE SPRING, S.C. (AP) -- An agreement signed this year by the U.S. and Mexican governments is allowing sweet, juicy Southern peaches to be sold in grocery stores south of the border for the first time in 17 years.

Farmers in South Carolina and Georgia now have access to markets closed to them since 1994. That's when Mexico banned peach exports from the Southeast over concerns about invasive pests.

Clemson University peach specialist Desmond Layne says the restart of exports likely means better prices for farmers because it gives them more places to sell their product for profit.

The clearance followed several years of negotiations. A final agreement came after the season started. So far, only Titan Farms in South Carolina is shipping to Mexico, but more farms are expected to next year.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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