Entrepreneurs are optimistic that the authorities will lift the ban on Mexican Hass avocado imports soon.
The ban started on May 5, 2015, after the former director of the State Plant and Health Service (SFE), Francisco Dall'Anese, stated that the entry of pests from Mexican avocados were a danger to the country.
From that moment, producers expressed their dissatisfaction with the measure and said that Costa Rica could face a possible reprimand from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
At present, now that Marco Vinicio Jimenez is in office, businessmen said that there is a greater openness to dialogue and a willingness to solve this issue.
Randall Benavides, the director of the Chamber of Exporters and Importers of Perishables, said that the Ministry of Agriculture had stated that they were conducting a pest risk analysis to determine the current status of the product. Benavides said they were concerned that the viral pest could spread and affect the country's avocado production.
"We are pleased that they have taken this initiative after two years of blockade due to the high level of smuggling that currently exists.
The only way to stop this is through trade. We're also worried because the tests will only determine if the virus is present or not in the seeds. What we really need to examine is its ability to move in the environment, reproduce, and be negative in the imports. That's the doubt that persists," he said.
On June 3, 2016, Marco Vinicio Jimenez replaced Dall'Anese in the SFE. Since then, the businessmen say, there is a clear interest in solving this issue and a greater reliance on the scientific, technical issues.
Benavides stressed that the current Director of the SFE was seeking a solution to this trade problem.
"We have noticed a greater transparency in decision-making and that the scientific technical side of the issue is being given the leading role that it always should have had at the SFE.
We believe that Mr. Marco Vinicio is really interested in finding a solution to this issue, which should have never been a conflict. We feel that he is concerned about the issue," he said.
Costa Rica imports 15 million tons of avocados, 12,000 of which come from the Central American country, according to estimates by the Chamber.
Source: laprensalibre.cr