The sector has three months to adapt to the demands imposed by the Senasa for the transit of fresh fruit. After that deadline, all the departing fruit should be packed. As a solution for small producers, the province is acquiring mobile packing plants and funding fixed plants at strategic points. In addition, they will continue funding nurseries so that they deliver certificated seedlings in order to prevent the entry of material from Brazil and Paraguay.
Earlier this year the Senasa adopted more stringent health requirements to authorize the exit of citrus from Misiones. The measure was adopted to combat the HLB plague and virtually paralyzed the activity for several weeks; causing significant losses as there was much fruit that could not be sent to its destination in a timely manner. Thanks to efforts of the province, the new health regulations were suspended for 90 days, giving the sector a break. However, both the officials from the Agricultural area and the producers are aware that they will have to adjust and comply with what Senasa requires to continue producing these crops.
The hardest requirement for producers, especially the smaller ones, is processing and packing citrus fruits before crossing the provincial border. Producers usually transport their fruit in bulk so that it can be processed and packaged in plants of Entre Rios, except those working with the Tobacco Producers Cooperative in Misiones (CTM), which has a processing and packaging plant of its own.
Consequently, to comply with the requirements made by Senasa, the province is working on two fronts: building fixed plants in places with high production volumes, and acquiring mobile plants to attend smaller producers.
"We are requesting a reasonable three month period to adapt these facilities. What we are asking is that the province doesn't bear all the costs to fight the HLB, the nation should also contribute to help sustain the border," said the Minister of Agriculture, Jose Garay.
In turn, Yaco Mazal, undersecretary of Plant Production, recognized that they would not have a solution before the 90-day period ends, but he deemed it important that they show the national authorities that they were working on a solution.
Apart from the processing issue, the Ministry of Agriculture is betting on increasing the production of certified seedlings in order to eradicate the HLB. "We funded nurseries and charged them with materials that we then deliver to producers. We do this to avoid the temptation of incorporating genetic material from Brazil or Paraguay, which in many cases is infected with this bacteria, "he said.
Source: misionesonline.net