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September 2003, World Apple Report Highlights

Optimum Traceability
Retailers, governments and consumers are convinced of the need for "traceability" of the foods they eat. However, the number of items that they want "traced" continues to mount. The bigger these demands, the higher the cost to suppliers. This article examines key factors that affect the costs and benefits of any traceability system in terms of (1) what attributes of a product are traced, (2) what methods are used to measure those attributes, (3) what records must be kept of the traceability measures, and (4) what verification is required. The article argues that traceability needs to be based on sound science, adequate risk assessment and accurate measures of potential costs and benefits.

Passage to India
The Indian market should begin to demonstrate its full potential in the next decade as economic reforms take hold. India has close to 100 million middle or upper class citizens that can afford to buy imported consumer goods. However, India is the world's second largest producer of fruits. There are still many obstacles to imports of fresh apples and pears and many bottlenecks in transportation and distribution. Exporters need to explore the opportunities and challenges of the Indian market first hand.

Mad Cows, Madder Consequences
The discovery of a single case of BSE (mad-cow disease) in Alberta, Canada has led to a dramatic shutdown of Canadian exports of beef and live animals at a cost of billions of dollars in lost revenue. This occurred even though beef from the sick animal never entered the food chain, all animals that might have come in contact with the sick animal were slaughtered and no cause of the infection was ever found. Any country and any commodity could be stricken in the same way at any time. There is a need for the development of internationally agreed procedures for dealing with these incidents more rapidly while reducing the collateral damage to innocent parties.

Special Statistics
India: Imports of Fresh Apples and Fresh Pears, 1998-2001. (chart)
U.S.: Average Quarterly Grower Prices of Fresh Apples and Fresh Pears, 1998-03. (chart)
China: Fresh Apple Exports Inch Close to Half a Million metric tons. (chart)

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