The National Health and Agricultural Food Quality Service (Senasa) supervised and certified the export, by air, of almost 1,000 tons of blueberries from Tucuman to the United States and England in the 2017/18 campaign. Of that total, 946,678 kilograms went to Miami, Orlando, and New York, while 15,622 went to England.
The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-Aphis) established a treatment protocol for the export of fresh blueberries, which is done with methyl bromide at 15,6° C and benefits the final quality of the product at destination.
According to the United States phytosanitary requirements and the work plan agreed upon between Senasa and Aphis, the blueberry receives a pre-shipment authorization after being treated with methyl bromide. To do this, the chambers of the fumigation centers must be authorized by Senasa and Aphis, and the fruit must be treated under the inspection of an agent of the National Organism.
All phytosanitary procedures are working normally and at the request of the interested parties. It is important to note that sometimes there are some inconveniences, which we overcome, to load the planes on time and form, said the Regional Director of Senasa NOA Sur, Carlos Grignola.
There are 11 authorized fumigation centers that have a total of 17 bromination chambers in Tucuman. In addition, the Export Agency has approved 26 packages.
Senasa is in charge of the phytosanitary certification of blueberries, and controlling the strict compliance with the work plan agreed with the Aphis.
Senasa developed a monitoring network in Tucuman which uses 25 glue delta traps in the blueberry production area to detect the presence of the plague commonly known as the grapevine moth. Technicians of the Agency control them regularly, always with negative results.
Even though Argentina is free of Lobesia botrana in blueberries, they maintain their certification through regular checks. "The public sector and the private sector are equally responsible for maintaining the country free from Lobesia," said Carlos Grignola.
Source: agritotal.com