US: Washington's exclusive chance to promote peach exports
With the demise of the California Tree Fruit Agreement $2.5 million in USDA Market Access Program money became available.
From that money Washington Stone Fruit Commission has received $250,000 for the promotion of first time exports of peach, nectarine, apricot and plum.
The reasons that Washington was selected to receive this cash award is that fact that the commission is known to be familiar with export promotions and is connected to the Northwest Cherry Growers - also well versed in such promotional activities.
The fact that they have a promotions team in place already meant that they appeared well placed to receive the money and put it to good use. This is according to Kevin Sage-EL, horticultural crops branch chief of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service in Washington.
He said most states market their peaches domestically, though South Carolina and Georgia are starting to look towards Mexico as a market.
The $250,000 is matched by the commission with money from grower assessments.
The commission will spend $160,000 promoting stone fruit - mainly peaches - on the Canadian market; $20,000 to push apricots in Mexico and the rest to Taiwan and, to lesser degrees, Honk Kong, Singapore and Thailand, said B.J. Thurlby, president of the commission and Northwest Cherry Growers in Yakima.
"The West Coast produces more white flesh peach varieties than the market needs so our goal is to push more lower acidity, higher brix (sugar) white and yellow flesh peaches to Asia," Thurlby said.
Washington produced 14,000 tons of peaches in 2010, tying Michigan, Colorado and Texas. Leaders were California at 817,000 tons, South Carolina at 110,000, Georgia at 40,000, New Jersey at 36,000 and Pennsylvania at 21,200.Of Washington's 30,000 tons of stone fruit, 70 percent is sold domestically, 25 percent goes to Canada and 5 percent to Asia, Thurlby said.
Source: www.capitalpress.com