Mexico's apple industry is feeling the sting of high-volume, low-cost fruit from its neighbor to the north. In a conversation with www.freshfruitportal.com, Chihuahua's Regional Fruit Producers' Union (Unifrut) said an influx of U.S. apples has led the state to lose around 15% of its supply.

"This is a crisis period for marketing due to imports of apples coming from the U.S. This affects the movement of the national harvest by occupying cooling spaces and through the agreements they have established," said the company's import manager José María Figueroa Michel.

To tackle the effects of U.S. competition, sector representatives are coming together to find a solution for the local industry and ease labor concerns.

"We are losing some workers. I don't have an exact number but this is affected. We are doing analysis, working hard with all of the associations and the packing houses to see what the damage is. We are working alongside the state government to define the situation," Figueroa said.

Measures are being explored to address U.S. supply pressure and to avoid what Figueroa described as irreversable social effects.

"We are a sector that generates a lot of employment and with employment affected, there could be strong social and political results," he said.

"The situation is national, but it's creating a crisis in Chihuahua because it is the main production state. Another affected zone is Coahuila. But since they produce earlier than Chihuahua, they have more possibility to reach a demanding market."

Figueroa said the apple sector has received strong government support.

"They have opened their doors and are open to participate to find a solution and define a strategy for apple producers both in Chihuahua and nationally," he said.

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