The Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI) reported that Peru and Chile had signed a protocol to optimize phytosanitary measures that will ensure an appropriate level of phytosanitary protection for the bilateral trade of Peruvian Hass avocado and Chilean apples.
This protocol was signed by the MINAGRI through the National Agrarian Health Service (SENASA) and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) from Chile.
With this agreement, the Peruvian Hass avocado exports have better competitive conditions, as they no longer require a quarantine treatment, which generated higher costs for the Peruvian producers and exporters as well as damages to the fruits.
SENASA conducted research to show that the Hass avocado didn't host fruit flies, which allowed the U.S. counterpart agency, APHIS, to remove the quarantine treatment for the importation of this fruit.
The SAG, however, decided to conduct a new pest risk analysis, which delayed the entry of the fruit into the Chilean market.
After two and a half years, the SAG finally retired the phytosanitary requirements for the Avocado sunblotch Viroid (ASBV) pest as well as the quarantine treatment for fruit flies; thus, once the resolutions are published in the official journals of both countries, the Hass avocado can be exported without any treatment.
As a result of the meeting in Africa, the export of apples from Chile to Peru will be based on the fulfilment of specific phytosanitary measures to prevent the risk of entry of important quarantine pests to Peru, such as the chilensis Brevipalpus, Proeulia auraria, Proeulia chrysopteris and the Grapholita.
Thus, SENASA put aside the temporary suspension imposed in September this year on imports of fresh apples from Chile in face of the imminent phytosanitary risk that importing this fruit presented.
The general director of SENASA's Plant Health, Moises Pacheco, and the Director of Plant Protection from the SAG, Octavio Herrera, signed the respective work plans.
These plans allow the resumption of these fruits bilateral trade, once the respective resolutions are published in the official journals of both countries, which will take place during the course of the next week.
With this treaty, SAG and SENASA will begin a new work phase in the coming months in which they will establish cooperative agreements to enhance bilateral trade between both countries, in a context of greater plant safety.
Source: Andina.com.pe