Officials from the National Health Service and Food Quality (Senasa) and the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA APHIS) held a meeting in which they evaluated the pre-shipment plans for the export of fresh fruit from Argentina.
Specifically, they analyzed the 2016 blueberry export campaign, the update of the Control and Eradication of the Fruit Fly program and the Prevention and Eradication of the Lobesia botrana program. Additionally, they signed the update of the work plan for the export of blueberries.
Both sides highlighted the excellent work performed during this blueberry export season, as there were to zero detections of pests on arrival.
"This was achieved thanks to the participation and work commitment of all the agencies, the ministries of Agricultural Industry and Transport of the Nation, the Government of the province of Tucuman, the private sector, and other members of the productive and export chains," said the director of Plant Certification, Martin Delucis.
The meeting was headed by the national director of Plant Protection from Senasa, Diego Quiroga, and had the participation of staff from Plant Health, Plant Quarantine, Phytosanitary Certification, and International Relations Coordination.
The US delegation, which is in charge of the pre-shipment programs that Argentina has with that country regarding fruit exports, was made up of the new central director of Pre-Shipment Programs, Jennifer Smythe, the regional director for South America, Jo-Ann Bentz -Blanco, the area Director for South America, Robert S. Johnson, and officials of International Services, Pre-shipment Programs, and the US embassy in Argentina.
The manager of the Committee of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables for the United States (Copexeu), Ricardo Ajo, was also present at the meeting.
The activities of the visit ended on Friday 16 with a tour of the facilities of the National Service at Ezeiza International Airport, and a visit to a methyl bromide treatment center that belongs to the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Regional Center.
Source: infocampo.om.ar