The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) issued a statement confirming that cherry exports to Brazil will continue to develop normally, despite its Brazilian counterpart detecting a pest insect, Brevipalpus chilensis, in a shipment of 1,120 kilograms of the fruit that was transported by air.
“Cherry exports to Brazil continue with complete normality, without modifications or inconveniences, after the Brazilian phytosanitary authority detected Brevipalpus chilensis in a shipment of just over 1 ton. This type of finding is part of the usual work carried out by the National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in their inspection and control processes,” reported the Chilean public agency.
The preliminary information was received a few days ago through the Chilean Agricultural Office in Brazil and, currently, SAG is awaiting the official notification from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA).
“SAG continues to certify the exports of Chilean cherries to all international markets, strictly complying with the phytosanitary requirements of each destination country. Therefore, it is confirmed that trade with Brazil and with the other markets that receive our fruit and vegetable exports – particularly cherries – continues without modifications or inconveniences,” the entity specified.
For its part, Frutas de Chile issued a statement stating that “we are monitoring the situation and, to date, according to what SAG has indicated to us, it is an isolated case, detected on November 10 in an air shipment of 1,120 kilograms. For reference, a standard container transports around 18 tons, so in this case it was a limited volume. In that batch, the presence of Brevipalpus chilensis was detected and, following the regulations of the Brazilian authority and by decision of the importer, the cargo was fumigated and then destroyed.”
“We want to emphasize that Chilean fruit continues to arrive normally in the Brazilian market, under the same access conditions and complying with all the sanitary and quality requirements agreed upon between both countries. SAG, as the competent sanitary authority, is monitoring the case and maintaining coordination with its counterpart in Brazil. We will continue to support and collaborate in everything necessary,” it added.
It is worth mentioning that Brevipalpus chilensis is a mite known in Chile as the false red vine spider, an agricultural pest of quarantine importance that affects various fruit and ornamental crops.
