After the unilateral decision from the Secretariat of Economy, with Bruno Ferrari in charge, to open the border to US potatoes, which could result in great phytosanitary risks and losses of up to 450 million dollars in the first three years for over 10,000 families, Mexican producers could be issuing a formal complaint.
This was announced by the president of Cajeme's Association of Potato Producers, Ricardo Parada Laborín, who pointed out that the Secretariat of Agriculture, SAGARPA, is currently analysing all comments made on the issue.
"A formal complaint could be issued against this decision from the federal authorities," insisted the president of Cajeme's potato growers, who also requested for phytosanitary measures to be respected.
In the case of Sonora state, the authorities from the State Council for Plant Health and various local associations, such as the one from Yaqui Valley, have made a great effort to maintain good health conditions; so much so, that Sonora state is free of both golden and root-knot nematode.
It is essential to continue maintaining this phytosanitary status, and introducing imports contaminated with quarantined diseases could endanger the state's produce, which is of 400,000 tonnes (20% of the national production).
Source: TRIBUNA