The general manager of the Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters (EMPA), Juan Carlos Rivera Ortega, stated that a delegation of South Korea's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA) would be arriving in Peru in the first week of February to verify the country's phytosanitary protocols to export fresh mangoes to that market.
Rivera Ortega also stated that it was going to be difficult to export mangoes this season as it would come to an end in April; however, he said, they could get the green light and begin shipments in the next season (2015/2016), which begins in November.
"We expect to export to South Korea the same amount of mango that we ship to Japan, i.e. between 600 and 1,000 tons per year," he said.
Shipments of larger mango calibres to the U.S. are on hold
The representative of EMPA said that representatives of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA were arriving in Peru in the third week of February to meet with their counterparts of the SENASA.
"I do not know what's on their agenda, but we expect they'll discuss entry of larger mango calibres (650 grams to 900 grams) from Peru to the United States," he said.
In this regard, Rivera Ortega said SENASA (in collaboration with producers and exporters of Peruvian mango) had already filed all the documents and evidence requested by the USDA to obtain the permission to export mangoes of a larger calibre.
In this regard, he said, it is very unlikely that we'll get a permit this campaign. "The technical issue is complete and there is nothing to discuss with it. I think it is currently a diplomatic issue so we'll achieve exporting large mangoes next season," he said.
Source: Agraria