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| Horticultural & Tropical Products Division | Return to the H&TP Home Page |
April 6, 2001
Japan Inspection Slowdown Could Impact U.S. Vegetable Sales
According to recent press reports from Tokyo, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has instructed its port inspectors to cut back on the number of daily inspections of imported vegetables, ostensibly for food safety and/or quarantine-related concerns. MAFF will reportedly soon set daily ceilings of inspection work to be carried out at seaports and airports. Import quantities in excess of the daily ceiling would be held for inspection the following day. According to the Ministry of Finance, Japan's imports of fresh vegetables in CY2000 totaled approximately 930,000 metric tons (MT), a 50-percent increase from the level posted in 1996. While China is by far the leading supplier of Japan's imported vegetables, the U.S. shipped over $170 million (nearly 300,000 MT) in vegetables to Japan in CY 2000. Based on the reports to date, only vegetables, not fruits, will be subject to the new inspection caps. (Brian Grunenfelder, 720-3423)
Tart Cherry Growers Vote to Amend Marketing Order
Tart cherry growers and processors in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin voted to make two amendments to their marketing order program. One amendment clarifies the current limitation on the number of Cherry Industry Administrative
Board members that may be affiliated with a single "sales constituency" by changing the definition of that term. The other amendment simplifies the method used to establish volume regulations for tart cherries. Some 375 tart cherry producers, or about 42 percent of the producers eligible to vote, cast ballots. (For more information, contact George Chartier at (202) 720-8998 or george.chartier@usda.gov.)
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