Hugo Fragoso Sanchez, CEO of Safety National Health Service, Food Safety and Quality (SENASICASome), and Pedro Luis Benitez Velez, delegate of Sagarpa, met with exporters to establish the various courses of action to keep avocados free of pesticide residues and reach agreements that will strengthen its marketing in Japan.
Benítez Vélez asked producers and exporters to maintain the commitment and work that they have carried out over the past two years, which has led to significant results in the shipments of this fruit to Japan.
He said Sagarpa's job was to establish guidelines and made sure these were carried out, but that it was the producers' and packers' job what would allow them to meet the safety standards required by international markets.
In turn, Fragoso Sanchez said they had been working hard for the past two years to certify that the avocado sent to Japan complied with all the requirements and was free of pesticide residues. Hence, they could ensure the product's safety and maintain the avocado's competitive standard for the commercial window that starts in December and ends in February.
He acknowledged the commitment with producers and the compliance of the work plan. However, he stated, the country needs to do more efforts to maintain exports; thus, SENASICA will increase its supervision throughout the following months to make sure this important avocado export window isn't jeopardized.
He also mentioned that the Rural Development Districts, SAGARPA and the Secretary of Rural Development (SEDRU) had agreed to launch a campaign to inform avocado producers of the importance of certifying their production units in SENASICA's Contamination Risk Reduction System.
Finally, he said, if there were any inconsistencies in the exports of avocado, the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (COFEPRIS) might close the packing facilities, and SAGARPA would deny the corresponding health certificates.
It's worth noting that Mexico ships more than 47,310 tons of avocado to Japan, i.e. 8% of total exports.
Source: mimorelia.com