The Philippines may open its doors to four US vegetables this year, once government officials in Manila have completed their pest risk reviews, reports The Manila Standard Today.
The Philippines Bureau of Plant Industry director hinted that the Philippines would grant access to US celery, cabbage, lettuce and carrots once pest risk analyses (PRA) were finalised in March or April. "The completion of the PRA... will be favourable to the US," Clarito Baron told the newspaper.
The Plant Bureau added that it was optimistic the US pest risk analysis on Philippine bananas would be completed around the same time.
In July 2009, the USDA said fresh Philippine bananas could enter the US if growers adopted measures to control the 14 banana pests found in the local fruit, the Manila Standard Today says.
The US drew up risk management measures in consultation with the Philippine Plant Bureau.
PRAs are conducted by an importing country to find out whether pests or diseases common to a commodity threaten the local produce industry.
The Philippine pest analysis on US vegetables began last year.
