The general manager of the Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters (APEM), Juan Carlos Rivera, reported that Peru sent 3,220 tonnes of fresh mangoes in the first week of the export season (which started at week 47).
"Up to November 24, 140 containers, each of which stored 23 tonnes, were exported. 90% of exports were sent to Europe and 10% were sent to Chile and Ecuador. Estimates are that by the end of the campaign, which ends in March, 110,000 tonnes of fresh mango will have been exported," he said.
He also indicated that starting November 25 (the campaign's second week) the export of mangoes to the United States would begin; the amount of containers exported to that country, however, is still unknown.
He also noted that, starting now, they would begin to send fresh mangoes to Japan (regarding this season), which is why last weekend inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture from that country were in Piura certifying 3 packing plants authorized to handle the hydrothermal treatment of mangoes that are going to be sent to Japan. "This is the fourth campaign that we are sending fresh mangoes to Japan and we estimate that we're going to export 1,200 tonnes to that market," he said.
In this regard, he highlighted the job being done by the National Agrarian Health Service (SENASA), since, starting this campaign, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture will delegate export inspections, of the fruit that will be sent to the Asian country, to SENASA.
"Japanese inspectors who have come to certify the plant will be returning to Japan in a few days and will leave Peruvian officials responsible for certifying Peruvian exports to Japan. Exports for New Zealand, Chile and China work in a similar way but their inspectors don't come to the country, the phytosanitary authorities of these countries have ordered SENASA to make such certifications," he said.
In the case of the U.S., which has 7 certified packaging plants in Peru, the officers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) come to the country and remain in it throughout the campaign.
Meanwhile, different European countries have certified 25 packing plants but, as these countries do not require the mangoes to undergo a hydrothermal treatment, there is more freedom to export to these markets and SENASA only monitors the shipments to see if they are free of pests, such as the fruit fly.
"This could be a problem because SENASA can't keep up with all these monitoring due to the amount of plants that there are. There is a lot of activity in a very short time since we are going to export 110,000 tonnes in 14 weeks and, if the institution responsible for agricultural health doesn't have the manpower to do this job, it could cause a problem," he stated.
Source: Agraria.pe