generic apples

A new proposal by the US Department of Agriculture could see all varieties of Japanese apples imported to the US under the same phytosanitary protocols as the Fuji variety, which is already permitted.

Japanese Fuji apples are allowed into the US only if the fruit is cold treated and fumigated under USDA inspection, The Packer reported.

In 2009 Japan shipped US$228,000 worth of Fujis to the US, a 5 per cent increase on 2008. The value of Japanese Fujis was around US$60 per carton in 2004 but was just US$16 per carton in 2009.

Japanese apples make up only 0.1 per cent of all US apple imports and it is expected that granting market access to other varieties would not alter that figure a great deal.

'As long as they meet our phytosanitary conditions, then the industry will look favourably at it,' said US Apple Association president Nancy Foster.

The USDA will hear stakeholder comments on the proposal until 10 May.

Meanwhile, statistics show US apple shipments to Japan have been unpredictable since the market was opened in 1995.

Northwest Fruit Exporters manager Jim Archer said US apple exporters hadn't found Japan to be a profitable market recently.

'We haven't had any interest in qualifying any fruit for Japan,' Mr Archer said.