Jim Allen checking in

Got an email from the always engaged and enthusiastic Jim Allen today. Besides a coming trip to Cuba - the New York Department of Ag is sponsoring an official trade mission (30 plus New Yorkers) the week of April 21-24 - Jim also noted an upcoming visit to Russia. From Jim's email:

I am enjoying the Russian coverage in the Packer. Since the Berlin show NY has shipped close to 10,000 cartons to Russia. Our USEAC (Export Council) is planning a trade mission to St. Petersburg in May. I will be attending along with shippers from CA, PA, MI, NE and NY. We are excited about the potential business in Russia. . I am sending you a copy of the editorial that I had in our Core Report about the Russian market. Thought you might be interested, that other states besides Washington are looking to Russia. Obviously WA dwarfs our shipments, but this is good new business for us.

Jim Allen
President
New York Apple Association, Inc


TK: Below is Jim's column about Russia from the Core Report. And yes, they really do love big apple sizes in Russia:


The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!
The last place you would expect to hear this phrase would be in Berlin, Germany, but that certainly was one of the most heard comments at this year’s Fruit Logistica Show. If it wasn’t the Russians, then it was the Indians that were storming the different booths in search of fresh apples. When one realizes that today Russia imports more apples than any other country and that India is one of the fastest growing new markets, requests from both of those countries should not have surprised anyone. Maybe overwhelmed would be a better description, because it was amazing to have so many very interested parties seek out the USAEC booth to specifically talk about USA apples. Our booth was conveniently located adjacent to the Washington Apple Commission booth, and at first one might think that would not be good for us, but on the contrary, many interested apple importers are looking for East coast sources for apples. Apparently the Western arrivals tend to jam up the ports, and Eastern arrivals would take a different path of entry. Let’s face it, when you export over 20 million cartons a year, you draw a lot of attention, and most of that attention had an opportunity to also sample a crispy, white Empire apple from New York. Both India and Russia prefer large, red fruit, which is not exactly our strong suit, but taste is also a factor, and that is our strength. Last year at the October PMA show in Houston, a Russian importer visited our booth inquiring about wanting many container loads of big red apples. Big to me is 88 and 80 count, and I was explaining to her that we would prefer to ship 100 and 88 size. I was taken back when she interrupted, in her Russian/English dialect (and rather forcefully), “NO. NO, I said big, as in 72 and 56 count and yes 48 count size.” I, with my flat Western New York twang, asked her to let me know how that all worked out for her this year. Guess who came to the booth in Berlin, and she politely told me that her desires for large fruit did not work out at all, not from the East. Helenia, as I now know her, could become an important key to shipments of Eastern apples into Russia and her tone, as well as mine, has both taken a new direction. The reality of our apple industry, compared to the Western U.S. industry is now better understood, and those that need to know are better informed about what each are capable of producing. Being in Berlin helped move this process forward. Ward Dobbins of HH Dobbins in Western New York and Chuck Andola of United Apple Sales, along with Kaari Standard of New York Apple Sales all had the chance to communicate with prospective apple importers from around the world. Ward commented, “It is hard to imagine a world glut of apples based on the amount of demand here at this show, when you talk to some importers that talk in thousands of metric tons, not just a few loads.” Clearly, one factor in the demand for more apples was this year’s small European crop, specifically Poland, which was hurt by spring freeze. Even with a Polish crop, the demand for apples in these countries continues to exceed the production and the weak U.S. Dollar continues to drive the demand as well. Checkpoint Charley was the gate between East and West Berlin from 1961-1989, where armed soldiers from the U.S. and Russia stood, separating capitalism and democracy from socialism and totalitarianism. Today, the gate for new business and expansion into emerging markets is open and unguarded.


TK: I extended Jim the opportunity to be a "guest blogger" as he travels to Cuba and Russia and that offer goes out to all association and industry leaders who think they would like to try it out. Let me know and I'll set you up.