The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica (MAG) presented a seal that will guarantee the origin and quality of the Hass avocado variety produced in this country, in order to encourage the use of local produce.
"This process was started in 2013 to strengthen the quality of the Costa Rican product. After years of hard work, the results have been positive for a select group of farmers who will pioneer a project that we hope will soon cover all avocado growers in the country," said Minister Luis Felipe Arauz at a press conference.
The government's National Production Council (CNP) is responsible for certifying producers that comply with a protocol that allows technicians of the CNP to track the product from harvest until it reaches the point of sale.
So far, 12 producing farms have located in the area of Los Santos, an agricultural region in the Midwest of the country, have been certified.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 1,200 families produce 5 million kilos of Hass avocado for the domestic market in 2,500 hectares.
Costa Rica's total avocado production, including all varieties, amounts to 12 million kilos per year.
On May 5, Costa Rica suspended imports of Hass avocado from 8 countries including Mexico, their largest supplier, as they considered there was a risk of the sunblotch pest entering the country.
According to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Costa Rica-Mexico, 12,000 of the 15,000 tons of Hass avocados consumed each year in Costa Rica come from Mexico, a business that amounts to US $50 million per year.
Source: noticieros.televisa.com