Fruit and vegetable inspection services meet at the BLE

The visit offered an excellent opportunity to present the inspection system of the BLE and exchange information about the conditions of import and export control. Apples have been commercially cultivated in the Grand Atlas Mountains in Morocco for 20 years. Currently 30,000 hectares are used to cultivate the main varieties, Golden Delicious, Gala and Starking. The Moroccan apple market is supplemented with imported apples, however not (yet) with German apples.

The delegation had the opportunity to visit the region, Alten Land, south of Hamburg and gather information on the production, processing and marketing of apples. The largest continuous fruit growing area of Northern Europe, 10,000 hectares, lies in this region and, while 90% of the surface is used for apples, cherries are cultivated on the rest. 

After a visit to an integrated organic apple farm, they went to the fruit cultivation center in Esteburg and a farmers association. In a distribution center in the Hamburger Hafen the visiting inspectors were informed about the demands of the German retailers and the specific quality concept of one of the four market leaders.

The last stops on the itinerary were the fruit center of the Hamburger Hafen and Logistic AG and the BLE quality control for imports. The visitors saw an example of a banana check, because importers, who meet certain requirements and are able to carry out controls themselves, are exempt from regular inspection by the BLE. The BLE checks instead if the exempt company continues to meet the requirements and perform their duties properly.

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