The US health authority reported that one of its avocado inspectors in Michoacán received a threat; sources indicated that he was kidnapped.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture ( APHIS-USDA ) decided to pause avocado inspection activities in Michoacán until further notice.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported in a statement that the United States made the decision because one of its officers, who was carrying out inspection work in Uruapan, Michoacán, received a threatening call on his official cell phone.
Given this, the federal agency announced that an investigation was opened to assess the threat and determine the necessary measures to guarantee the physical integrity of all of its personnel working in Michoacán.
In addition, he explained that a meeting is currently being held between APHIS personnel and representatives of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Avocado of Mexico (APEAM) with the local and state police to address the issue.
The staff of the US health agency inspects the avocado that is going to be exported and, once authorized, moves to the packaging for its conditioning.
Mexico exported more than 135 thousand tons of avocado to the US
In the last six weeks, avocado producers from Michoacán have exported more than 135,000 tons of avocado to the United States, with the help of more than 5,000 shipments of fresh fruit, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
To do this, the Senasica has certified 49,050 orchards, with an area of 152,712 hectares, to export Michoacan avocado to that country in the season that runs from October 15, 2021, to April 14, 2022.
Similarly, 72 avocado packers were certified that meet the requirements established in the Modification of NOM-066-FITO-1995 and the Work Plan for the Export of Hass Avocado from Mexico to the United States.
They seek to speed up the export of avocado from Jalisco
La Sader highlighted that Senasica holds working meetings with producers and packers from the state of Jalisco to publicize and implement the phytosanitary, safety, and quality requirements established by a new work plan signed on December 6, 2021, between health authorities of both countries for the shipment of fresh hass avocado.
He indicated that, shortly, visits to avocado production units will begin to corroborate their phytosanitary status in order for them to be certified by APHIS-USDA in coordination with Senasica, with which it is expected that the first avocado exports of Jalisco are carried out before the end of 2022.
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Source: forbes.com.mx,
