China has certified two Chilean regions as free from Mediterranean fruit fly, paving the way for increased exports of table grapes to the Asian nation, according to the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture.
The protocol to allow exports from Chile’s III and VI Regions was signed last week in Shanghai by álvaro Cruzat, the Chilean undersecretary for agriculture, and Sun Dawei, the vice-minister of China’s Quality, Inspection and Quarantine Administration.
The regions of Atacama and General Bernardo O’Higgins – two of Chile’s eight table grape-producing areas – have been unable to exports to China for the last two to four years due to incidences of Mediterranean fruit fly.
Some 10,891ha of fruit are planted in Atacama, of which 7,763ha are dedicated to table grapes or 12 per cent of national planted area with grapes.
O'Higgins represents 27 per cent of Chilean table grape production with 16,923ha.
