On May 5, 2015 Costa Rica informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it had banned avocado imports from eight countries, including Mexico.
On Saturday, just three years after that day, the first container of Hass avocados from Mexico arrived in Costa Rica.
The news was confirmed by the director of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), Marco Vinicio Jimenez, and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Felipe Arguedas.
If it's possible to verify that the avocados don't carry the sunspot disease, they can be placed immediately in the local market.
The SFE enabled a laboratory in February that allows inspection of the fruit in a short time.
The entrepreneurs are then given a certificate with an official seal by the phytosanitary authorities of the Mexican Government, which proves it's a legal import.
"Yes, it is true, there is a container of Mexican origin in Peñas Blancas, and it is being analyzed to see that it has no residues of pesticides and the Sunblotch viroid, after which it can enter the country" said Jimenez.
"The market has been open since February, as long as importer comply with the measures notified to the WTO," he added.
The requirements for importers are: having a certificate from the Mexican Government stating that the product is free of the disease, the product must come from areas that are certified free of Sunbloth places, and the imports must be carried out through a bilateral agreement that establish corresponding measures.
In this particular case, the avocado imported has been certified by the Mexican government and, if the product is clear the analysis, the Costa Rican phytosanitary authorities have no problem with its income, Jimenez stated.
A recent study indicates that avocado imports fell by 37% since the market was closed.
In 2014, per capita consumption of imported avocados stood at 2.46 kilos, while in 2017 it stood at 1.5 kilos, which shows that the Costa Rican began to consume less avocado after the closing of borders.
Source: diarioextra.com