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WSDA hearings slated in April to remove mandatory certification for Red Delicious apples

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is conducting two public hearings in early April concerning apple inspection certification requirements specific to Red Delicious and Delicious variety apples. Shippers of Red Delicious and Delicious apples must continue to meet stringent grade requirements for quality and condition that all apples must meet before sale.

"There are general standards for quality and grade for all apple varieties, including Red Delicious and Delicious," said Jim Quigley, manager of WSDA's Fruit & Vegetable Inspection Program. "The apple industry approached us to remove specific mandatory certification for Red Delicious and Delicious varieties. A number of packers may still request certification services from WSDA as part of their marketing approach."

The proposal comes from the Washington State Horticultural Association, with support from fruit shipper organizations, to remove mandatory certification requirements for the two apple varieties. If enacted, the proposal also would eliminate the requirement for having Red Delicious and Delicious apples inspected a second-time if they are not shipped within 21 days of the first WSDA inspection.

Two locations are scheduled for the hearings. The first will be conducted at 1 p.m. April 2 at the Tree Fruit Research Center in Wenatchee. The center is at 100 N Western Ave. The second hearing is slated for 9 a.m. April 3 at the WSDA office in Yakima. The hearing will take place in Suite 226, Room 238, 21 N First Ave.

Written comments are due at 5 p.m. April 6 and should go to Teresa Norman, Rules Coordinator, Washington State Department of Agriculture, PO Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560. Comments may be e-mailed to WSDARulesComments@agr.wa.gov or faxed to (360) 902-2092.

Information on the proposal is available on the WSDA Web site at agr.wa.gov. Look under the Public Hearings & Events Calendar at the bottom of the home page.

Washington growers account for 57 percent of U.S. apple production and sell apples to all 50 states and in more than 50 nations. Red Delicious remains the single-largest variety grown in the Evergreen State, ahead of newer varieties such as Gala and Fuji.

WSDA’s fee-for-service fruit and vegetable inspectors sample produce to verify that shipments meet size, grade and condition and that the crops are free of disease and insects prohibited by domestic and international trading partners.

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