The Fruit Exporters Association of Chile (ASOEX) met with the regional governor of Biobio in order to define the next steps for the construction of an SAG-USDA/APHIS-ASOEX Inspection Checkpoint in the town of Cabrero, southern Chile.
The facility will allow Chile to export its fruits and other fresh produce complying with phytosanitary requirements in origin, for marketing in the U.S. market.
"Constructing the SAG-USDA/APHIS-ASOEX checkpoint is very important for our region as it will allow producers and exporters of fresh fruit and other products to reduce the time it takes to move the samples and the costs associated with the process, which is certainly good news for the horticultural sector. This will favour the use of the ports of the Biobio region, "said regional governor of Biobio, Rodrigo Diaz, in a statement issued by ASOEX.
"Hence, we will prioritize actions so that it is a reality as soon as possible," said the regional authority.
ASOEX informed that they had spoken with the mayor about the project's details and the responsibilities that the different sectors and agencies involved in the bidding and construction of the checkpoint had.
Ronald Bown, president of ASOEX, said that the transfer of land from ASOEX to the regional government would be formalized in coming days. The leader said that this initiative is part of the SAG-USDA/APHIS-ASOEX Tripartite Cooperative Agreement and that it was a concrete response to the proposals of producers and exporters in the southern region.
"The partnership between the private and public sector is what has allowed the Chilean fruit to achieve the international recognition that it enjoys nowadays. The construction of this new inspection checkpoint, whereby the national fruit from Chile will be checked allowing it to directly enter the U.S. market, is an example of this," Bown said.
Jaime Peña, regional director of the Agriculture and Livestock Service of Biobío, said that the Ministry of Public Works was going to be performing the Inspection Checkpoint's construction bid soon.
Currently the country has Inspection Checkpoints located in the Metropolitan Region (A. Airport Checkpoint, B. Merino and Lo Herrera Checkpoint), Region VI (Los Lirios Checkpoint), Region VII (Teno Checkpoint) and the newly opened Coquimbo Inspection Checkpoint.
Source: Redbiobio.com