The delegate of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) in Jalisco, Javier Guizar Macías, reported that Chinese health authorities visited avocado orchards in order to inspect them and authorise the product's importation.
He added that the government of Jalisco has been working through the SAGARPA in the negotiations to allow the State's avocados to gain access to China, all within the framework of the market diversification strategy promoted by the secretary of the federal dependency, José Calzada Rovirosa.
He stated that in order to be able to start exporting the avocados harvested in Jalisco to that Asian nation, technicians of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ) have visited the orchards.
He added that the objective is to verify the production and packaging conditions in the State and check that the fruit is free from pests.
He noted that the health authorities of Mexico and China also agreed to create a working group to start the analysis of production schemes and the certification of organic products.
He stressed that a proposal was made to the Chinese authorities to initiate a process for the electronic exchange of certificates between the health authorities of both countries and to promote mutual visits to evaluate the electronic systems of Jalisco and China.
He pointed out that the technicians who are currently visiting avocado farms and packers agreed that this agreement will make it possible to speed up and intensify the safe trade of organic products between the two countries, through a reliable scheme that provides guarantees to consumers of this type of products in Jalisco and China.
He emphasized that electronic certification was considered to be a very important tool in the commercial exchange of agro-food products, since it mitigates the risk of errors or the possibility of fake certificates being presented.
He explained that the officials of the two agencies highlighted the progress made by the Mexican health authority with its Chinese counterpart, as well as the solid relationship, based on friendship and cooperation, between the two countries.
Source: Notimex
