The Mango Committee of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) stated that it was getting ready to export more than one million pounds (some 452,488 kilograms) of fresh mango to Chile.
According to Agexport, last Thursday, the Government of Chile had published a resolution authorizing the import of Guatemalan mango.
"The approval of this protocol means there will be a greater diversification of our agricultural export supply, it will generate more employment and enhance the competitive edge of our mango," said the president of the Mango Committee, Eddy Martinez.
He added that the sector would begin negotiations to ship the first containers with a million pounds of fresh mango to Chile by sea.
One of the phytosanitary requirements this fruit has to meet so it can enter the Chilean market involves using hydrothermal treatments in packing plants that are certified and monitored by inspectors from the Department of Agriculture through an office in Guatemala, he said.
Each year the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) of Chile, based on the information that Guatemala's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) gives it, shall issue a resolution specifying which hydrothermal treatment plants and packing facilities are authorized to export mangoes to Chile.
According to Martinez, Chilean inspectors will visit Guatemala in the coming days to certify the first packing plants.
Currently, 90 percent of Guatemala's mango production is exported to the United States, mainly to the states of California, Florida, and New York.
According to Agexport, during 2015 Guatemala exported 50 million pounds (22.7 million kilos) of mango.
Guatemala has more than 7,000 hectares devoted to the production of mango for export.
Source: EFE