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Enhanced Arrival Quality Boosts Potential of U.S. Tomato Exports in Japan
After a shaky start, U.S. shippers and Japanese importers are optimistic about the shipping, handling, and marketing of U.S. fresh tomatoes in Japan, thanks to dramatically reduced defect levels.
Japanese traders relied heavily on California and Florida tomatoes to supply McDonald's during its successful sales campaign in June. Upon arrival, each carton of tomatoes was inspected by importers for quality and color -- and almost all were in perfect condition.
One trader, who found a 0.06-percent-product-defect level for one container load and 3.7-percent for another load, reported that the condition of the tomatoes far exceeded industry expectations. Another importer experienced defect levels averaging 5 percent. These levels compare very favorably with those of previous shipments, in which defect levels ranged as high as 40 percent, threatening U.S. tomatoes in this exacting market.
The improvement was due, for the most part, to the U.S. industry's development of a single-layer, 4-kilogram carton exclusively for the Japanese market.
FAS and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, working closely with the California and Florida tomato industries, succeeded in opening this market for U.S. tomatoes in April 1997 after many years of effort. By working together through USDA's Market Access Program, the two states' industries aim to supply the market year-round. The U.S. tomato industry views Japan's foodservice sector as a market with significant potential, and estimates near-term sales prospects between $10 and $20 million annually.
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