Michelle Bachelet, the President of the Republic, officially opened the Phytosanitary Inspection Site of Cabrero, which will have the task of inspecting the fresh fruit destined for the United States market.
The new facility, which required a public-private investment of 2,800 million pesos from the Regional Government of Biobío and took almost two years to be constructed, will be administered by ASOEX.
Although the inspection site began operations in early January 2017, its official inauguration was made during the ceremony led yesterday by the country's first authority and Ronald Bown, the President of ASOEX. The ceremony was attended by the Minister General of the Government, Paula Narvaez; The Regional Mayor, Rodrigo Diaz, the mayor of Cabrero, Mario Gierke, and parliamentarians of the area. Angel Sartori, the National Director of SAG; Robert S. Johnson, the Director of the Program for the South American Area, Russell Dunkan, Area Director of the South American Pre-clearence Operations for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS), among other US officials, also attended the ceremony.
During her speech, President Bachelet stated: "This is the type of response our economy needs to boost it. Without growth there is no social progress. If we want dynamic and permanent growth, we need to invest in productivity, innovation, and transfer power to the regions."
"This center will save 380 km of route. Or more if they come from Los Lagos. Exports no longer have to go to Teno or the Metropolitan Region, and from there to the port of San Antonio. Now they can come to Cabrero and embark from the ports of Concepción, which are 90 kilometers away," she added.
In turn, the President of ASOEX welcomed the enthusiasm of the President for the activities of the sector, as she had participated in the inauguration of the Teno Site in the Maule Region during her previous administration.
"With the installation of Cabrero, the county will have seven phytosanitary inspection sites, ensuring that the fresh fruit destined for the United States is inspected at source. This work was completed thanks to the persistence of its managers and administrators. More than 6 years have passed since the beginning of the first talks, and since then an earthquake has shaken the country, especially this Region, and the area has had three mayors," said Bown.
The new site is expected to inspect 4.8 to 5 million boxes of fresh fruits, which will come mainly from processing plants from the Maule Region to the south of the country, in the 2016-2017 season.
Meanwhile, the Regional Intendant, Rodrigo Diaz, said that this facility would significantly contribute to improve the competitiveness of producers and exporters, generating a development and employment hub for the Biobío Region, while facilitating the use of the ports and services of the area.
The Site
The Cabrero Phytosanitary Inspection Site is part of the Pre-Shipment Program, a Tripartite Collaboration Agreement between the SAG / USDA-APHIS / ASOEX, that has been in force for more than 33 years. The work was possible thanks to the public - private agreement managed through the Regional Government, the Agricultural and Livestock Service, and the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile AG.
"This facility has a total area of 20,000 square meters and a surface area of 3,622 square meters, which will be used by more than 60 people, including SAG, USDA and ASOEX workers and officials," said Ronald Bown.
The site will make it possible to expedite the inspection of horticultural products from the Centro-Sur Macro Area (the regions of Maule, Biobio, Araucania, Los Rios, and Los Lagos) destined for the United States market. It will allow producers to avoid undergoing a new revision in the Target market, with its consequent cost savings for producers and exporters, further enhancing the area's port logistics system.
According to information from the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (ASOEX), the site of Cabrero inspected a total of 1,522,249 boxes of fresh fruits between January and March 31, 2017. Of this amount 1,261,605 boxes correspond to blueberries, 157,421 boxes to apples, 96,016 boxes to Asian pears and 7,207 boxes to cherries.
To date, not including the Cabrero facility, there are six inspection sites throughout the country, located in Regions IV, V, RM, VI and VII. ASOEX manages the sites at Coquimbo, Lo Herrera, Los Lirios, and Teno,while the SAG manages the port of Valparaiso and the International Airport of Santiago. Each of these sites is under permanent supervision of USDA-APHIS officials.
Currently, the USDA-APHIS / SAG / ASOEX phytosanitary inspection sites inspect more than 135 products, including fresh fruits, before leaving for the US. As of March 31, 2017, under the Pre-shipment Program, more than 21.5 million fruit boxes have been inspected.
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