Uruguayan apple suppliers are reportedly exploring the possibility of exporting the fruit to the US under a recently established cold treatment protocol negotiated by USDA-Aphis and the Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture.
Bi-coloured apples, such as Pink Lady, Royal Gala and Cripps Pink, have been cited as those varieties with the greatest potential to succeed on the US market.
“The opportunities for bi-coloured apples to do well in the US are very good,” Felipe Reyes, director of exporter Frutec, Uruguay’s leading Pink Lady supplier, told local reporters.
“The US is an enormous market and bi-coloured apple production is still relatively new, so the industry still has some way to go to satisfy demand,” Mr Reyes added.
For the last 10 years, Uruguay has exported bi-coloured apples to the European Union, during the February to May period, where demand still outstrips demand, according to suppliers.
Currently, there are 65 producers involved in the production of Pink Lady and Cripps Pink apples in Uruguay, covering 114ha in the regions of Montevideo, Canelones and San José.
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