Russia is proving to be an attractive growth market for Northwest-grown pears, with India also showing signs of increasing demand.
That is the verdict of Pear Bureau Northwest marketing director Jeff Correa, who has said that he expects further increases in pear shipments to both countries over the next three-to-five years.
Speaking to Capital Press agriculture news, Mr Correa said that at more than 500,000 44lb boxes of pears, Russia was the US Northwest's fourth-largest export market in 2009, with further room to reach 650,000 boxes by 2015 at the latest.
'We see more retailers (from Russia and India) entering the market, and those there now are expanding and improving distribution centres and logistics,' he told the publication.
At 130,000 boxes imported last year, India proved to be the Northwest's eighth-largest export market, with the presence of a 33 per cent tariff not expected to hold back an increase to 200,000 boxes over the next three-to-five years, according to Mr Correa.
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