Windset Farms will be the first company to ship bell peppers to Japan following recently approved market access.

In a release, the company said many bodies were involved in the process including the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and other government bodies of Japan.

Windset Farms has been involved in the process of opening this market for more than 15 years, working with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to set up the necessary steps and procedures.

The main requirement for import into Japan was regarding Tobacco Blue Mold, a fungus which can affect bell peppers.

Greenhouse/Facility Audit at Windset Farms in Delta, BC with Japan’s MAFF and CFIA Program Specialists and Inspectors.

“As a current exporter of tomatoes to Japan, we are honored and excited to have the opportunity to ship our fresh, greenhouse grown peppers to our customers across the seas,” said Windset Farms owner and COO John Newell.

"Our peppers are grown in climate controlled greenhouses resulting in safe, consistently high-quality vegetables that will help our customers fill demand throughout the year."

Windset Farms grows a wide variety of peppers across 200 acres in British Columbia.

Windset Maestro Sweet Bell Peppers will arrive in Tokyo today (Sept. 30), ready for sale by one of Windset’s existing customers.

And although this year’s Canadian pepper season is coming to a close, this week’s arrivals affirm processes are in place to further build programs for next year and beyond.

www.freshfruitportal.com