The Chamber of Commerce of Lima (CCL) stated that the United States had approved an alternative treatment for Peruvian blueberries. This measure, they said, will improve the competitiveness of this fruit. The country's shipments of this fruit currently amount to 101.2 million dollars.
According to the United States' Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the US recently approved a new alternative irradiation health treatment for the export of blueberries to the US market.
"This new treatment will give Peruvian producers who export blueberries to the US market, an additional alternative to methyl bromide fumigation treatment (which reduces the product's shelf life) or cold treatment," stated the executive director of the Foreign Trade Research and Development Institute (Idexcam) of the CCL, Carlos Posada.
This additional procedure, which will mitigate the fruit fly, would be applied in the facilities authorized by the US health authority in its territory.
Blueberry shipments
Peruvian blueberry exports to the US market have grown significantly each year, both in volume and in value.
In 2013, Peruvian blueberry shipments amounted to nearly 6.9 million dollars and 607 thousand tons. In 2017, they amounted to 101.5 million dollars (7.5% over 2016) and 12.2 million tons.
The Peruvian authorities asked their US counterparts to approve this alternative treatment.
"The Chamber of Commerce of Lima supports these type of actions that increase the alternatives for the export of domestic products, as they improve our logistics and our competitiveness," stated Carlos Posada.
Source: andina.pe