Peruvian fresh asparagus exports to the United States have to be fumigated, a prerequisite that increases production costs and shortens the product's shelf life, which reduces the competitiveness of the Peruvian vegetable.
The National Service of Agrarian Health (Senasa) and the Peruvian Institute of Asparagus and Vegetables (IPEH) have been working to eliminate this requirement. This month the health authority will present an alternative plan to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the IPEH, Carlos Zamorano Macchiavello, the goal is to is to create a logical system so that the fresh asparagus industry can send its products to the United States without fumigation.
He said the idea was to certify fields and processing plants in the country (which is already done in other agricultural export products) to help formalize and organize the national asparagus industry.
"These certifications would prove that producers are conducting integrated pest management in the fields to ensure control the presence of pest populations so that we have healthier fields. It would ensure our productivity and help us have a more orderly industry," he concluded.
Source: agraria.pe