Growers and exporters in the US are encouraged a recent agreement will see pears granted access to China following 18 years of negotiations.
According to a report in US agricultural newspaper the Capital Press, an agreement in principle has been reached allowing US pears into China next year.
As part of the agreement an additional pear variety from China will be allowed into the US. Chinese Ya and Fragrant pears currently have access to the US market, but export volumes are small.
Kevin Moffit of the Pear Bureau Northwest estimates exports to China in the first year will be in the realm of 50,000 cartons (20kg), with this figure growing to some 200,000 cartons in five years.
If this proves to be the case it would make China the sixth largest export market for US pears behind Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Russia and Columbia, according to the Capital Times report.
Bosc and Red and Green d'Anjou are the main varieties that would be sent to China, he said.
It was most likely that major shippers from Wenatchee, Yakima and Hood River that currently export to Taiwan and Hong Kong would send fruit to China, he added.
In 2011 the US shipped 131,000 cartons of pears to Hong Kong and 89,000 cartons to Taiwan, said Moffat, with the majority of this coming from Washington and Oregon.
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