Argentina has welcomed a decision by the Brazilian government to reopen its doors to Argentine apples and pears after a three-month ban due to concerns over codling moth.
The move follows intense negotiations between the two countries which has resulted in shipments being allowed to resume provided fruit has been subjected to cold treatment for eight weeks at 0oC.
Under the new deal, companies whose previous shipments were found to contain codling moth on at least two occasions will not be permitted to export to Brazil for the rest of the current season.
“This is excellent news for the growers and shippers of Río Negro, Neuquén and Mendoza,” said Argentina’s agriculture minister Carlos Casamiquela.
He said the authorities would tighten controls on shipments to Brazil to prevent further cases of infestation in the future.
