A trade mission with Washington Apple Commission and USA Pears brought growers and shippers together with Chinese customers. "The group was mixed, with some participants having previously handled USA Pears and some being new to the product." explained Lynsey Kennedy from USA Pears. The importers had a chance to visit pear packing houses for the first time and meet with shippers. All of the participants reported that they plan to continue or begin shipments of USA Pears following the trip.
"China is a huge export partner and opportunity for the state of Washington and especially the apple and pear growers of the Northwest. This was a good way to get a group of them over here," stated Scott Marboe from Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers.
After only two and a half years of market access, China became the fifth largest export market for USA Pears in the 2014/15 season with over 230,000 boxes shipped. It’s also the top export destination for red pear varieties like Starkrimson and Red Anjou.
"From our perspective, it was a great opportunity to educate the trade about USA Pears as a relatively new product with unique characteristics of Asian pear varieties, as well as introduce our promotion programs to continue to grow the Chinese market," continues Lynsey Kennedy.
"We have a range of promotions lined up for the 2015/16 season, including in-store sampling promotions, a second year of the USA Pear Road Show in Southern China, Chinese New Year God of Fortune activities, and a WeChat social media program."
