The Washington Apple Commission and Pear Bureau Northwest hosted produce buyers from five leading Russian retailers in late October.
The buyers visiting the Northwest toured packhouses and several retail stores, demonstrating keen interest in learning more about the region’s apple and pear industries.
“Our goal was to educate these key decision makers on the high quality of our apples and pears,” explained Rebecca Lyons, International Marketing Director at the Washington Apple Commission, in a company press release.
The buyers also met with apple and pear shippers at networking events organised for them.
“We wanted these buyers to understand the story behind our apples and pears, and for them to see the care that goes into the harvesting, packing and storage of the fruit,” said Ksenia Gorovaya of Crisp Consulting, a St Petersburg-based company, which represents both the Washington Apple Commission and Northwest Pear Bureau in the region.
While Russian retailers primarily source these products from suppliers based in Russia, this event provided the opportunity for them to look at buying direct from US shippers.
Russia comprises the largest apple importer globally, having imported 1.23m tonnes last year. However, the western region of the country remains a relatively untapped market, with significant opportunity for the US despite stiff competition from Poland and other regional countries.
“We need to show why, although our apples are more expensive than some country suppliers, they can create more value to the retailers due to their higher quality in appearance, texture and taste,” said Lyons.
