Exports of apples and pears from the Southern Hemisphere are anticipated to increase by 5 per cent this year, according to new figures released by the World Apple & Pear Association (WAPA) at a meeting held last week in Berlin.
Using data collected from industry groups in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa, WAPA said the Southern Hemisphere apple and pear crops are expected to reach 5.23m tonnes and 1.55m tonnes in 2011, down 1 per cent and up 10 per cent respectively against last year.
Southern Hemisphere apple exports are in turn set to rise by 5 per cent to 1.76m tonnes, with pear shipments also forecast to increase by 5 per cent to 827,098 tonnes.
WAPA also revealed a decline in Northern Hemisphere apple and pear stocks for the month of January.
In the US, apple stocks were down by 4 per cent in January to 1.49m tonnes, the association said, while pear stocks fell by 16.7 per cent to 152,629 tonnes compared with the same period last year.
According to WAPA European apple and pear stocks are also lower this year at 3.32m tonnes and 562,586 tonnes, representing a decrease of 12 per cent and 14.5 per cent in comparison to January 2010.
During its annual meeting WAPA also elected Kevin Moffitt of USA Pears as its new president, replacing Alessandro Dalpiaz of Assomela in Italy who has chaired the association for the last two years.
Peter Beaven of Pipfruit New Zealand was elected as the association’s new vice-president.
“Throughout these 10 years WAPA has rapidly positioned itself as a platform for the apple and pear sector around the world and reached progressively many achievements such as aggregating production and trade data to enhance transparency, cooperate on quality as well as on nutrition and health issues, and also exchange experiences and best practices on promotion,” Mr Moffitt stated.
“Over the years, WAPA has clearly become a point of reference for the industry”, he added.
For the first time a representative from China attended the WAPA meeting, marking a first step in developing closer ties with the world largest apple and pear-producing country.
“WAPA is enhancing the Chinese apple and pear sector to get organised and join the international community represented in WAPA,” Mr Moffitt said. “The Association will further explore cooperation with its Chinese counterpart.”
As Mr Moffitt takes over the presidency, WAPA said it will continue under his leadership to work on specific dossiers such as nutrition and health, as well as sharing best practice and member initiatives on promotion and image of apple and pears.
In this respect, the organisation said its website is becoming a centralised and well-recognised wealth of information.
The group explained that it will also continue developing its website as a communication tool and also further develop its role to provide key industry data on production, trade but also on scientific research, and nutrition data.
“Much remains to be done and as WAPA is entering into its second decade of activities I am looking forward to further enhance and consolidate globally the role of the association while fostering the cooperation of the members on so many matters of common concern,” Mr Moffitt concluded.
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