Mexican authorities have launched an investigation into anti-dumping claims surrounding U.S. apple imports, after growers from the state of Chihuahua alleged unfair practices and below-cost prices from their northern neighbors.

Chihuahua State Fruit Growers' Regional Agricultural Union (Unifrut) president Ricardo Márquez told La Crónica de Chihuahua a lawsuit was delivered to the Federal Government's Secretary of the Economy to resolve the situation through the appropriate international bodies, in order to avoid the expected harvest from 2014 - at an estimated 18 million cartons - not finding a home as was the case last season.

On Dec. 4, the Chihuahua Interior Ministry announced in the Diario Oficial de la Federación the request to start an investigation had been accepted .

Márquez told the local publication that the allegedly low prices and quality of U.S. apples led to a 80% fall in prices last year, which meant many growers weren't able to recover their costs.

He said Chihuahua's apple growers tend to have a cost base of MXN$2.50-3 (US$0.17-0.21) per kilogram (2.2 pounds), the story reported.

The union leader added that his group's members grew apples across around 33,000 hectares of land, of which 70% was cultivated using advanced irrigation systems.

The average output of the fields is around 20 metric tons (MT) per hectare although some farms reach between 50-80MT using high density growing systems.

Márquez hoped the government would implement greater control over apple imports to protect Mexican growers, and allow union members to enter enclosures for shipments.

The union also asked for a monthly report on rejected lots and the motives why, as well as phytosanitary inspections in customs checkpoints.

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