The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced it will shortly recognise five towns in the Valle region of Colombia as free of fruit fly, which will effectively open up the international market to the region’s fresh papaya trade.
APHIS is expected to certify the papaya-producing towns of Roldadillo, Toro, La Unión, Zarzal and Bolívar in December, according to the region’s Agriculture Minister José Vicente Irurita.
The announcement follows four years of intense negotiations between the Colombian Agriculture and Fisheries Institute (ICA), APHIS and the Colombian Centre of Phytosanitary Excellence.
The Valle region is Colombia’s leading fruit-production zone. Currently there are 29,300ha planted with 33 different fruits in Valle, including 600ha of papayas.
