Partnering With Tree Fruit

Partnering With Tree Fruit

Partnering With Tree Fruit. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

Sometimes you wonder how a national organization like U.S. Apple actually winds up partnering with the local tree growing industry, especially when they are on the other coast. Jim Bair, President of U.S. Apple explains.

BAIR: We represent the entire apple value chain from growers through packing, shipping, marketing, exporting, processing. Part of our strategic plan and mission statement is to develop and influence federal policies. We work to increase consumption of apples and apple products, facilitate communication with industry, manage crisis issues when they occur and work to develop future industry leaders.

That's all well and good but what does that mean when it comes to real issues like labor, food safety, crop insurance and others?

BAIR: We've been lending whatever Washington DC support we can to Washington Apple Commission, the Northwest fruit exporters and Northwest Hort Council to try to reopen the Chinese market. We are very pleased that they have reopened that market for Washington Red's and Golden's. Poland, the world's largest apple exporter; traditionally they ship those apples to Russia but because of the unrest in the Ukraine Poland has been locked out of the Russian market and so they are seeking access to the U.S. market and the U.S. regulators have come under tremendous pressure from Poland and the Ambassador and the diplomatic community to open the U.S. market.

Bair says that will more than likely happen but not until perhaps late this year. That's just one thing that they are dealing with to help the local apple producers. More on this tomorrow.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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