China to export Xinjiang pears to US
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-09-29 11:44
China is to export fragrant pears specially grown in northwestern Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region to the United State -- after 13 years of negotiations.
Sources with the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine (SAQSIQ) said on Thursday the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had approved the exports.
The decision came after two U.S. experts examined orchards and packing
factories in Xinjiang last month to ensure the Chinese quarantine system met the
U.S. requirements.
China first applied to export fragrant pears to the U.S. in 1993, but not
until last December did the two sides reach an agreement on quarantining the
produce.
The fragrant pears are produced in Xinjiang's Korla City, which had 23,333
hectares of orchards last year with a yield of about 120,000 tons.
The pears are sold in major Chinese cities and exported to Canada, Australia
and other countries that have strict quarantine requirements, contributing to 25
percent of the income for farmers in Korla. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
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