Brazil has apparently reopened its border to shipments of apples and pears from neighboring Argentina following a blockade imposed in early May in response to the latter's own ban on imports of Brazilian pork and beef.
According to reports in Argentina, the first three new import licences were issued to exporters by the Brazilian authorities on Wednesday 4 July, with industry association Senasa's regional centre in northern Patagonia confirming it expected shipments to return to normal over the course of the ensuing 48 hours.
The trade in apples and pears to Brazil represents a significant outlet for growers and exporters in Argentina's Río Negro and Neuquén provinces, centred around the city of Alto Valle.
'This will return the export of apples and pears to normal and comes as a relief to our producers and exporters,' commented Oscar Rolo, Río Negro's provincial secretary for fruit production.
It is estimated that the Río Negro region alone produces around 65 per cent of the country's annual apple and pear crop.
