Fresh Point Magazine - B2B24 - Il Sole 24 Ore

around 60 per cent of the crop that leaves the country
each year. The remaining 40 per cent is grown by
members of the United States Apple Export Council,
however, and the organisation’s chief executive Kris
Marceca says there are a whole host of reasons this
generation of the European fruit trade should take
another look at the Usaec offer.
The Usaec represents 11 apple producing states:
New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, Vir -
ginia, and the six states that make up New England
– Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine,
New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Over the last five
years, these states have produced a combined average
apple crop of nearly 1.5 million metric tonnes a
year.
In that five-year period, the value of exports have
increased, says Marceca. «There is an important processing
industry for apples in the US and if you take
both the fresh crop and the crop grown for processing
into account, around 12 per cent of the overall US
crop is exported. However, if you look only at the crop
grown specifically for the fresh market, then we
export an average of around 30 per cent of our apple
production each year» she says.
«I think that figure would surprise most people in
Europe, as there is a perception that the vast majority
of US apples are sold domestically. It certainly surprises
people in the trade in the US when it is pointed
out to them».
New cultivars
The export focus has sharpened in recent years, a
trend that has filtered its way down to the orchards,
where there has been a significant shift in the varieties
being planted. The dominant positions held for many
years by the Red and Golden Delicious are being
challenged by a number of newer varieties, to the
extent that a number of the Usaec member states do
not count either of them as their number one any
longer.
«It’s a fact that a number of Usaec members produce
varieties that are not produced in Washington in any
great volume. – Empire from New York has been the
major example in years past, but there are sizeable
orchards of different varieties being planted across
the country to account for changing demand patterns
around the world» Marceca says.
A natural trade partner
New York is the largest producer state in the Usaec,
with a five-year average of 588,202 t of apple production,
which translates into around 30 million
bushel boxes annually. More than 700 commercial
companies grow on 52,000 acres of orchard and
roughly 55 per cent of their crop is earmarked for the
fresh market. «New York is characterised by the
degli Stati Uniti produce circa il 60% delle mele esportate
ogni anno dagli Stati Uniti. Il restante 40% è ripartito
fra i membri dello United States Apple Export Council
(Usaec), il cui direttore generale, Kris Marceca, indica al
mercato europeo una serie di motivi per ripensare all’offerta
Usaec.
L’Usaec riunisce undici stati produttori di mele: New
York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia e i sei
che costituiscono il New England: Massachusetts,
Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire e Rhode
Island. Negli ultimi cinque anni, la loro produzione media
annuale è stata pari a circa 1,5 milioni di tonnellate.
Nello stesso periodo sono aumentate le esportazioni,
come afferma Marceca. ‹‹Negli Usa l’industria per la
lavorazione delle mele è piuttosto forte e, se consideriamo
sia il raccolto destinato al consumo fresco, sia quello
assegnato alla lavorazione, esportiamo circa il 12%
Orchards near the Hudson River in New York State.
Frutteti nei pressi dell’Hudson river, nello stato di New York.
Fresh Point Magazine n.3 – march/marzo 2012
23
market/US apples
mercato/mele americane