The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex) is confident that the fruit fly situation at the Port of Valparaíso will return to normal within two weeks, according to a press release from the organisation.
Asoex was keen to reassure the trade that it has officially met on “numerous occasions” with the Chilean phytosanitary agency (SAG), as well as port authorities, shipping companies, exporters and growers, industry suppliers, among other industry entities, with the objective of analysing “prompt and permanent solutions” to the problem.
“The industry is determined to comply with all requisites defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in reference to the loading of fruit in the Port of Valparaíso,” stated Ronald Bown, chairman of the board of Asoex.
“These loads must use micro punctured bags or protection nets on the pallets, in case the fruit doesn’t arrive in sealed containers from their respective packing stations,” Bown explained.
The normalisation process is expected to last for approximately 15 days, beginning on Saturday 12 January when the first vessel complying with the new protocol will be loaded with fruit destined for the US market.
The incidence of fruit fly was detected in Cerro Yungay, which is located close to Chile’s leading fresh fruit export terminal – the Port of Valparaíso.
