US Begins Exporting Additional Apple Varieties To Colombia

The Washington Apple Commission, in the US northwestern state of Washington, has begun promoting two additional varieties of apples exported from the US into Colombia. While Colombians are familiar with varieties such as Red Delicious and Royal Gala, the sweet Golden Delicious, originating from the Appalachian state of West Virginia and the Cripps Pink, originally from Australia, have been unknown to consumer markets in the Andean country.

Apples from the US compete in Colombia with imports from Chile, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. US producers export between $10-15 million USD in apples to Colombia, representing approximately 8.500 metric tons, though that volume increased 21% to 10,300 metric tons as of September 2020 according to Alejandro Díaz, the country manager of FTA international, representative in Colombia of the Washington Apple Commission.

“In Colombia there is room for people to eat more apples since each person consumes 1.8 kilos a year, which is about 13 apples. It is low when compared to the United States, where about 8.6 kilos are consumed per person per year,” said Díaz.

The Golden Delicious apple is a popular variety in the US for eating raw, known for its very sweet taste and characteristic bright yellow skin. The Cripps Pink is less sweet and more acidic, and due to its flesh characteristics is useful for baking, salads and snacks.

According to the US Apple Association’s 2018 figures, the top ten apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio and Idaho.