Mandoras

Mandora imports affected by war, terrorism

Fruit movement slows as value of the U.S. dollar decreases

Mandoras from Cyprus have begun arriving at Port Elizabeth, N.J., although the war with Iraq and the government’s focus on the battle against terrorism have affected imports, said Dennis Cohen, president of S A Direct Fruit LLC, Fresno, Calif.

S A Direct, which is the exclusive importer for Cypriot mandoras, will receive about 100,000 22 pound boxes this season, which lasts from January through April, said Cohen.

The war and a weakened economy have slowed the market’s movement, he said.

The U.S. dollar is down about imported.

Additional security checks imposed by the U.S. Customs Service, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have slowed inspections and $250 demurrage charges for X-rays have affected imports, he said.

While he said the inspections were necessary, Cohen said he would import more mandoras to keep a consistent supply of fresh fruit. This added costs.

Cohen said the fruit, which is sold in 38s, 45s, and 53s, looked fantastic.

He said f.o.b.s were $12.50 per 22 pound box, but couldn’t compare them to last year, when SA Direct began importing the fruit and was trying to get the packaging right.

This was after a two-year period of getting approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

By Gillian Titus (Staff Writer)
Packer Newspaper, March 31, 2003, page B3