A delegation from the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) will soon arrive in Guatemala to audit Hass avocado farms. This inspection represents the final step in the process to enable the export of this fruit to the U.S. market.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) confirmed the official notification of the visit, which was issued through APHIS. According to the Guatemalan institution, only two requirements remain before the export authorization can be granted: the signing of the operational plan with the approval of the corresponding authorities and the signing of a cooperation agreement between the private sector and APHIS.
According to MAGA, the Plant Health Directorate of the Vice-Ministry of Agricultural Health and Regulations (VISAR) has been working on the revision of the operational plan. The requirements established include the obligation for farms to be free of pests, especially the Macrocopturus aguacatae beetle, the main phytosanitary threat to avocado.
In addition, the document stipulates that an updated list of farms and packing houses participating in the program must be submitted every October 1. Production units that lose their sanitary status will be left out of the official inventory.
Once the operational plan is signed, the cooperative agreement with the private sector will be signed before the field audit. This inspection will be coordinated by the National Avocado Association (Anaguacate), in compliance with the agreement with APHIS.
During their visit, the U.S. technicians will visit the production areas and packing plants registered in the process. According to MAGA data, there are currently 28 producing farms and eight packing houses registered as candidates to start exports.
Entering the U.S. market would represent a strategic opportunity for the Guatemalan Hass avocado, the Ministry of Agriculture stated. Currently, the country exports Hass avocado to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, Canada, and different Central American nations.
Source: lahora.gt