After a multi-year effort, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service has authorized the importation of Mexican figs into the United States, effective March 30, 2015, from areas that are not fruit-fly free. The figs must follow a protocol, including irradiation.

At least one shipper is ready to comply and expects to have some Mexican figs in the U.S. marketplace within a couple of weeks.The USDA approved shipments of Mexican figs, opening the door for an increase in consumption for the fruit.

Paul Catania, president of Catania Worldwide in Toronto, said he has been working with Mexican growers for the past four years and has been bringing Mexican figs into Canada for about that long. He told The Produce News  April 1 that the U.S. approval came Monday, March 30, and the Mexican government agency is expected to sign off within a couple of days.

His packingshed in Mexico has been certified “and the next step is to have the irradiation facility certified. That’s all ready to go, so we should have figs in the United States by the middle of April.”

Karla Stockli, chief executive officer of the California Fig Advisory Board, said dried and fresh figs from fruit fly-free areas were previously allowed into the United States, but, as a practical matter those numbers were very small. She said California figs, both dried and fresh, are in very good demand situation right now because “they are an on-trend fruit.”

Stockli expressed little fear that this would be changed with the contra-seasonal presence of Mexican figs. She noted the California varieties and fruit quality is superior to anything else in the market, and said California growers are confident that will remain the case.

Catania said he would ship Mexican figs into the United States for only a few weeks this spring as the California fig deal gets under way. Typically, California ships from the end of April into October. He said Mexican figs will typically fill the supply gap from the middle of October until California begins in April or May.

Catania expects to use this year’s April-May window “to grease the wheels” and basically get a little experience under his belt going into the fall when the figs will be shipped in much greater volume.

Several years ago, Catania planted his own 150 acres of figs in Mexico, which will be ready to come into full production this fall. He noted that most Mexican fig growers have very small groves in the one- to four-hectare range.

Catania Worldwide owns Stellar Distributing Inc., which is based in Madera, CA, and is a major grower, packer and shipper of California figs. Catania sees the addition of Mexican figs as completely complementary and a great way to increase the promotion and consumption of the crop.

George Kragie, president of Western Fresh Marketing, which is also based in Madera,  and a fig shipper, agreed. “We only sees this as a positive,” he said.  “Anything that can increase the availability and promotion of figs is good.”

Kragie said he has started experimenting with some fig plantings in Mexico to see what varieties do best, and he expects to have his own production some  time down the road. He said there are several different locations where figs can be grown and his firm plans to continue its research into opportunities for figs in Mexico.

This year, he expects California figs to start “a touch sooner” than last year’s April 23 start date.

In announcing its decision to open the U.S. market to Mexican figs, APHIS stated, “Based on the findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public to review and comment through a previous notice, we have concluded that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh figs from Mexico.”