In This Issue:
Calendar
Ohio Viticulturist Position
Chinese Anti-dumping Case Dealt Blow
Taiwan Bans US Apples
Agrilink Sells Applesauce to Knouse Foods
Goal Herbicide for Strawberries
Terminal Market Wholesale Fruit Prices
November 26: Ohio Apple Marketing Program Committee Meeting, 4 pm at Dutch Heritage in Bellville
December 12: Ohio Fruit Growers Society/Ohio Vegetable & Potato Growers Association Policy Development Meeting, noon at Dutch Heritage in Bellville
Jan. 15-17, 2003: Ohio Fruit & Vegetable Growers Congress & Ohio Roadside Marketing Conference, Toledo SeaGate Convention Centre and Radisson Hotel. Contact Jennifer Hungerford at 614-249-2424
Jan. 27-29, 2003: Indiana Horticultural Congress; Adams Mark Hotel in Indianapolis.
Feb. 7-8, 2003: North American Bramble Growers' Association will meet in Leesburg Virginia. The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn at the Historic Carradoc Hall. Contact Jason Murray, Commercial Horticulture Agent, for further information, at jamurray@vt.edu or 703-737-8978. You can view the program at http://www.ento.vt.edu/Fruitfiles/NABGAProgram03.pdf
February 9-11, 2003: Ohio Grape-Wine Short Course at Wyndham Dublin Hotel in Dublin. For registration information and other details call 800-227-6972 or go online to http://www.ohiowines.org
As many of you know, the Ohio grape and wine industry through the Ohio Grape Industries Committee have worked with Ohio State University to hire a research and extension viticulturist. From eleven candidates, three have been chosen to be interviewed. The interview seminars and the "meet-the-candidate" luncheons are scheduled to be held November 20 through December 10. The names of the three candidates and their present appointments are Ed Stover, Florida Extension Team Leader for Citrus; Glen Creasy, coordinator of the Center for Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University in Canterbury, New Zealand; and Imed Dami, state viticulture specialist for Illinois. Please contact Dave Ferree at 330-263-3813 for further details.
The U.S. apple industry has been dealt a blow in its anti-dumping case against China. The Department of Commerce (DOC) plans to change a key element of its original decision in the apple industry's anti-dumping case against China. This change will likely result in removal of some tariffs currently imposed on Chinese exporters of concentrate shipped to the United States, while maintaining tariffs on all other firms. DOC has recommended to the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) that the United States change the surrogate market-economy country (Turkey instead of Poland or India) used to calculate China's costs of production, on which the agency based its original finding that Chinese concentrate was being illegally dumped here.
The decision would eliminate duties for five of the nine Chinese concentrate exporters under evaluation by Commerce, and impose import duties of 28.33% on four others. All other Chinese concentrate export companies would continue to be subject to 51.72% import tariffs.
DOC's review of surrogate countries was the result of an appeal filed in the CIT by Chinese concentrate exporters in June 2000. In considering the Chinese appeal, CIT remanded elements of DOC's original decision back to the department for reconsideration, including the department's choice of India as a surrogate market economy to estimate China's costs of production. Choice of surrogate market economy is a crucial factor in determining whether dumping has occurred, and what tariff rates the U.S. government should impose to level the playing field. A surrogate country must be a significant producer of the product and be economically comparable to the exporting economy involved.
"Commerce's decision to choose Turkey as thesurrogate market economy country is likely to tilt the playing field back in favor of Chinese producers, and probably take money out of the pockets of U.S. apple growers," said Nancy Foster, president and CEO of theU.S. Apple Association (USApple). The Association criticized the DOC announcement and plans to vigorously pursue other options to keep dumped concentrate from further harming the already-beleaguered U.S. apple industry.
"Commerce's decision to change the surrogate country for China's non-market economy deals a major blow to our anti-dumping case, and will allow unfairly priced imports into the U.S. market," said Foster. "We don't agree with the department's decision and will be actively examining other means, including U.S. government initiatives, to protect U.S. apple growers and processors from further harm caused by these imports."
As part of its review, DOC accepted arguments from both parties this fall on its proposal of Poland or Turkey as possible alternate surrogates. The Coalition for Fair Apple Juice Concentrate Trade (FACT), the U.S. apple industry trade group administered by USApple that brought the anti-dumping case, had argued that Poland was the better choice because it is a more significant producer of apple juice concentrate. The U.S. apple industry argued that Turkey and Poland are economically comparable, since both have a similar per capita Gross National Product to China. Nevertheless, DOC chose Turkey as the surrogate economy.
CIT is expected to review DOC's remand decision and decide in approximately 30 days whether to accept DOC's final determination. A flood of imports of below-cost Chinese concentrate on the U.S. market has caused significant economic damage to the U.S. apple industry in recent years. Chinese concentrate imports increased by more than 1,200% between 1995 and 1998, before the U.S. industry filed its anti-dumping case against below-cost Chinese imports in 1999. During that same period, the average price of Chinese concentrate imports declined by 53%, from $7.65 per gallon in 1995 to $3.57 per gallon in 1998.
Taiwan, the third largest export market for apples, has banned the import of U.S. apples after alleged discoveries of live codling moth larvae in shipments from Washington and California. Representatives from the Northwest immediately began talks to lift the ban. Within days, the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Northwest Horticultural Council, Yakima, Washington flew to Taiwan to begin a discussion of the ban.
Taiwan officials reportedly found a live codling moth larva November 5 in a shipment of Washington apples. The larva was reportedly among a shipment of Red Delicious. According to reports, shipments already on route with correct documentation will be allowed entry to Taiwan. An investigation must explain why the moths were in the shipments in order for U.S. shipments to resume.
The United States has exported apples to Taiwan for over 25 years. The discovery was the first major phytosanitary problem ever found with the fruit shipments, according to reports. Washington shippers sent over three million 42-pound boxes of apples to Taiwan in 2001, according to the USDA.
Agrilink Foods plans to sell its applesauce business to Knouse Foods this fall. Knouse Foods is a grower-owned cooperative headquartered in Peach Glen, Pa. The applesauce has been produced in Agrilink's Red Creek, New York and Fennville, Michigan facilities. This sale will result in the closure of Red Creek and workforce reductions of approximately 90 full-time employees. These terminations will be completed by mid-November. The Michigan plant will continue to operate as a production facility.
Agrilink is also pursuing an agreement with Cahoon Farms, a 40 year old family-owned fruit processing business based in Wolcott, New York, to produce certain fruit fillings and toppings which are currently processed in the Red Creek plant. This production will begin with the 2003 processing season and may provide an employment opportunity for current employees of Agrilink's Red Creek facility. According to a company announcement, the transactions will also provide an opportunity for Pro-Fac Cooperative growers to continue supplying fruits to Agrilink for processing by Cahoon Farms under Comstock and Wilderness brand names, and to supply apples to Knouse Foods.
Agrilink Foods notified employees, union officials and local government representatives about the closure. The union representing some of the affected workers is the Cannery Workers Union, affiliated with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, AFL-CIO-CLC Local 244. Agrilink Foods is currently working with union officials on the impact of this closing and will be providing job assistance to all affected employees.
"Decisions such as these are never easy to make," said Dennis Mullen, Agrilink chairman and chief executive officer, "and this closure does not reflect upon the hard work of the Red Creek employees. In order to remain competitive in the food industry, we must be low cost operators. This is critical for our company as we move forward."
Agrilink, based in Rochester, New York, one of the country's largest manufacturer and marketer of frozen vegetables, expects to report sales in excess of $1 billion for its fiscal year ending June 29, 2002.
Goal herbicide has been registered for strawberries, thanks to the Minor Use program, and can be applied to new plantings and renovated plantings at the end of this season. It is important to wait until your strawberries are fully dormant before application, or severe injury may result.
Goal will help in controlling some difficult-to-control weeds like field pansy and oxalis (yellow wood sorrell). Goal's label also lists several "regular" weed problems like purslane, redroot pigweed, cupped nightshade, wild buckwheat, lamb's-quarters, oak-leaved goosefoot and maple-leaved goosefoot.
Goal 2XL: Manufactured by DowAgro Sciences (formerly by Rohm & Haas)
Source: Chicago http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/HX_FV010.txt
Detroit http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/DU_FV010.txt
Pittsburgh http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/PS_FV010.txt
.
| Chicago | Detroit | Pittsburgh | |
| Apples, ctns trypk, U.S. ExFcy | |||
| McIntosh Fancy Cortland |
WI 64s, 72s, 80s 25-26 WI 72s 16.00 |
||
| Apples, ctns trypk, Comb U.S. ExFcy-U.S.
Fancy G. Delicious Red Delicious |
WV 125s 13.50 138s 13.50 WV 125s 13.50 138s 13.50 |
||
| Apples, ctns celpk, U.S. ExFcy | |||
| Empire | NY 100s 25-26.00 120s 20-21.00 |
||
| McIntosh | NY 80s 26.00 | NY 100s 25-26.00 120s 20-21.00 |
|
| U.S. Fancy McIntosh | NY 80s 16.50-17.00 96s 26.00 100s 16.50-17.00 |
NY 80s 18.00-19.00 100s 18.00-19.00 120s 15.50 |
|
| Apples, cartons, 12 3-lb filmbags
U.S. ExFcy Empire Jonathan Red Delicious Red Rome |
MI 2½" min 15-15.50 MI 2½" min 16-16.50 MI 2½" min 15-15.50 MI 2½"min 13.50-14.00 |
||
| Apples, cartons, 12 3-lb filmbags | |||
| U.S. Fancy - Empire | WV 2¼" min 12.50 | ||
| Fugi | MI 2¼" up 12.00-12.50 | ||
| Gala | MI 2½" up 16-16.50
2¼" min 15.00 |
MI 2¼" min 12.00-12.50 | |
| Golden Delicious | MI 2½" up
15.00 MI 2¼" min 12.50 |
MI 2½" min
11.50-12.00 2¼" min 11.50-12.00 |
WV 2¼" min 12.50 |
| Jonathan | IL 2½" min 15-16.00 MI 2¼l" min 15.00 |
MI 2¼" min 11.50-12.00 | |
| McIntosh | MI 2¼" min 12.00-12.50 | NY 2½" min 13.50 | |
| Red Delicious | IL 2¼" up 15-15.50
MI 2 ¼" min 12.50 |
MI 2½" min 12.00
-13.50 2 ¼" min 11.50-12.00 |
WV 2¼" min 12.50 |
| Apples, bu cartons, loose | No Grade Marks | |
|
| Empire | No Grade, no size marks WV Empire12.50 |
||
| Gala | MI 2½"min 16.00
2¼" min 13.00 |
||
| Golden Delicious | MI 2¼" min 12.00 | MI Fcy 3" min 15-16.00 ExFcy 2¾" up 15-16.00 Fcy 2½" up 12.00 |
No Grade, no size marks WV Golden Delic. 12.50 |
| Jonathan | IL 2¼" up 14.00 | ||
| Red Delicious | MI 2½" up 15.00
2¼" up 12.00 |
MI ExFcy 3" min 14.50-15 Fcy 2¾" up 12.00 |
No Grade, no size marks WV Red Delic.12.50 |
Ted W. Gastier
Extension Agent, Agriculture
Tree Fruit Team Coordinator
Ohio State University Extension Huron County
180 Milan Avenue
Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: (419)668-8210
FAX: (419)663-4233
E-mail: gastier.1@osu.edu
Copyright © The Ohio State University 2002
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868