The US market is effectively set to open up to Mexican grapefruit suppliers during the July to September window, ahead of the Florida deal, following the establishment of a new protocol for citrus imports from Mexico.
The agreement, established in 2012 and revised at the end of the year, will require citrus fruit to undergo a USDA-approved irradiation process, providing an alternative to other, apparently more damaging, fruit fly treatments.
“Until now, the grapefruit business from Mexico to the US has been limited to exports from fruit fly-free areas and other protocols, like methyl bromide and hot or cold air treatment, which damage the fruit’s organoleptic quality and significantly shorten the shelf-life,” Ricardo Millet, director of Proagro, Mexico’s biggest grapefruit supplier, told Americafruit
Proagro will send trial grapefruit shipments to the US in April, and hopes to kick off its first campaign in August and September with two containers.
Already, Millet says US importers are optimistic and interested, which he believes stands Proagro in good stead to replicate the solid export deal it has established with the EU, and expand production as required.
The full story will be published in the April/May issue of Americafruit.
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