03/30/05 Latest steps to Taiwan for apples

One thing is certain to Mike Willett of the Northwest Horticultural Council. He, and other supporter of the U.S. apple industry, wants U.S. apples back in Taiwan. WILLETT: That decision of course is in the hands of a foreign government and we have very little influence on how quickly they move, although we have been in contact with our government both in D.C. and in Taipei to urge them to talk with their counterparts to move it along as quickly as possible. Quickly may not be the right word as it has been since December that Taiwan implemented the ban due to coddling moth concerns. But a step towards getting the Far East nation reopened to U.S. apples occurred recently when officials from Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine observed mock inspections at fruit warehouses in Selah, Wenatchee, and Chelan. WILLETT: Based on my review of the program and the different packing facilities we went to, I didn't see any significant problems nor did they identify any significant problems at the end of the visit. There is still no official word from Taiwan when the ban will be lifted. The ban no question has created some logistical problems for Northwest apples growers and shippers from the standpoint of finding additional markets for near record setting crops. In the case of Washington State, only Canada and Mexico traditionally import more apples than Taiwan on an annual basis.