The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is concerned about the recent findings of cocaine in pineapple export shipments; However, it clarifies that they aren't the institution in charge of exercising controls to reduce the risk of further transfers.
According to Fernando Araya, the head of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), the owners of the packers and the exporting companies are the ones that can exercise controls. This applies to pineapple and for other agricultural products.
This was the official's answer to the claim made by the president of the National Chamber of Producers and Exporters of Pineapple (Canapep), Abel Chaves, who stated that the public institutions had two measures that could help combat drug trafficking which is taking advantage of the country's fruit exports.
"The owners of the packing facilities and the export companies, especially of pineapple, have the greatest powers to discourage and block drug smuggling through agricultural shipments. They, as owners, can decide who enters their facilities, if they let everybody in, and they can know what a person does in a day or not," said the director of the SFE.
Chaves said that the MAG should reinstate the on-site inspection program, which, according to him, stopped being applied in the previous administration. In addition, he said, authorities need to keep a more strict register of habitual and casual exporters.
However, according to Araya, the on-site inspection program never stopped. "The SFE doesn't accept being attributed a responsibility that it doesn't have. The regulation of the Phytosanitary Law is clearly established. We must visit the packing plants at least once a month," he said.
According to Araya, there had been an inspection program since 2007 because of the export boom of pineapple that was carried out with the support of officials from the Agricultural Extension Office of the MAG, which allowed more frequent visits, but in 2016 it was suspended. The pineapple was then routinely inspected, just like any other agricultural export product.
The director of the Phytosanitary Service recognizes that the presence of these extra officials and more frequent visits could help, but indirectly.
"It could discourage the sending of drugs in agricultural exports because of a fear issue. However, what we certify are processes, not shipments. We don't seal containers, and we haven't stopped performing inspections," he reiterated.
Regarding the request for a stricter registry of exporters, Araya assured that the MAG carries an adequate control of those involved, as everyone who exports is duly registered; otherwise, they could not comply with the procedures to export their products.
The only exception established in the law is for entrepreneurs who want to try exporting new products.
According to Araya, the legislation allows exporters who want to export a new product to do so up to six times in a year without having a plant with registered suppliers, but giving them the possibility of using rented plants. This, to encourage exports.
The director of the SFE emphasized that the smuggled drug hadn't been detected in this type of export.
Source: La Nación