The much vaunted export of avocados from Jalisco to the United States, which was strongly publicized by the state government in May after the US approved buying the fruit from other Mexican municipalities outside of Michoacan, will still take several months to begin.
Even though the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published on May 27 the approval to import avocados from Mexican municipalities that are free of quarantine pests, we are still developing an operational work plan, said the director of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Avocado from Jalisco (Apeajal), Ignacio Gomez.
"Exports must be governed by an operational work plan; this is the fine print of how this process must be done. Michoacan already had a work plan which they continue to use to export to the United States, but this new document will replace the one in force."
He said that work plan was being created by the producers of Michoacan and Jalisco in coordination with authorities of the National Health Service, Food Safety and Quality (SENASA) and that they would be submitting it to the US government for approval once it was completed.
"We are aware that getting a document of this nature authorized and approved isn't so easy. As exporters we know that we wouldn't just sign any document out of haste and the urgency of exporting to the United States. This will surely take a few months, hopefully only two, three, or four, but it can take seven or eight. I hope it won't take any longer," said the director of the Apeajal.
Official optimism
In contrast, the Ministry of Rural Development (Seder) of the Government of Jalisco projected that the first shipment of avocados grown in Jalisco would be sent to the United States in mid-September.
"The protocol allowing us to export avocados to all states of the American Union has already been signed. The technicians of the USDA are just verifying the inventory of potential exporters, verifying their packaging, and verifying the transportation logistics so that there are no risks when this fruit is sent to their country," said the Director of Planning and Rural Development of the Seder, Gustavo Jimenez Aguayo.
Source: eleconomista.com.mx