Plum photo via Wikimedia user Fir0002.

A new market in Japan opened for plum growers in the Central Valley, one ten years in the making.

The California Fresh Fruit Association announced that the United States Department of Agriculture had cleared the way for plums to enter Japanese markets.

The association had been working with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for nearly 10 years to get the stone fruit into the country, according to Ian LeMay, president of the association.

“Anytime we gain access to a new market, it’s a significant deal for growers,” said LeMay.

Currently, 35% of California stone fruit goes overseas.

Getting access to the market required multiple rounds of technical negotiations to overcome concerns about sanitary measure.

Getting the fruit inside the country will take a rigorous process prior to shipment, said LeMay, but they already have a fully-functioning process for nectarines that has been successful.

 

 

“The full expectation is that the plum export program will mirror the success of California nectarines,” said LeMay.

In 2019, the dollar value of plums in the Central Valley surpassed $273 million, with over 27,000 harvested acres for the fruit, according to the most recent crop reports from Central Valley counties. California produces 95% of the U.S.’s fresh plums, according to UC Davis.

LeMay said that this year, because of a cool winter, all four categories of stone fruit have had a good production year.

LeMay anticipates the Japanese market to be a healthy one.

“The citizenry consumes a lot of fruit,” he said. “If you are able to provide them a high quality piece of fruit, we see high demand in it.”

A 2018 report from the USDA noted that of the 4.71 million metric tons of demand in 2015, nearly a third was imported, lead by bananas, pineapples, kiwi, oranges and grapefruit. The U.S. ranked second after the Philippines in value of fresh fruit exports at $360 million in 2017.

 

 

The report then stated an expectation for that market to expand because of lagging domestic production due to aging fruit farmers.

Japan exported 37,419 metric tons in 2017, lead by apples, pears, peaches and then mandarins.

In foreign markets, California produce is seen by consumers as a premium product because of stringent regulations, said LeMay.

In 2017, the U.S. made up 9.4% of import volume with 151,835 metric tons, following the Philippines who share was 57.9% with 937,858 metric tons.

The U.S. came closer in terms of import values, with 16.8% share the same year, valuing $358.5 million, following the Philippines with 37.7% share and $806.2 million. Major exports to Japan include oranges, grapes and lemons. The U.S. also has the dominant position in cherries, making up 95% of the market share there. The Philippines ships large amounts of bananas and pineapples to the country.

There are still slowdowns at ports because of disrupted shipping, said LeMay, but most restrictions because of Covid have relaxed. This has created some difficulty getting products on the water, he said.

Currently, major export markets for plums include Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Canada. The association is working to create a market in South Korea.

Due to declining populations and decreased fruit consumption in Japan over the years, the fresh fruit market has become more competitive, the 2017 USDA report read. But because of declining domestic production there and high standards from California producers, researchers anticipate “great opportunities” for U.S. fresh fruit suppliers.