Chinese plant health inspectors will visit blueberry production regions of Argentina in September ahead of the start of the South American country’s first ever export campaign in China.
The first consignments are due to be sent in mid-September following the signing of the phytosanitary protocol in December 2017.
Carla Ginobili of the Argentine Blueberry Committee said phytosanitary inspectors would visit farms in Tucumán, Concordia and Buenos Aires to check that farms and packhouses comply with the regulations set out under the protocol.
More than 20 farms have been registered to ship to China this season and the Committee is planning a number of promotional activities in this market to support the campaign.
Argentina’s blueberry acreage remains unchanged this year, but volumes are projected to rise by around 10 per cent to 18,000 tonnes, largely as a result of the switch to more productive varieties.
