Peru’s government together with Peruvian avocado association Prohass will today (4 January) hold a press conference in the country’s capital to officially announce the export of the first Peruvian Hass avocados to the US.
According to Peru’s ministry of agriculture, health and safety representatives from the US and Peru concluded discussions last week over the start of avocado exports at the beginning of January.
The agreement follows 12 months of discussions and consultations between the two countries, including a three month public consultation on the start of exports from January to March last year.
Representatives from the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) also carried out site visits to areas of northern Peru to assess possible phytosanitary risks, Peruvian press agency Andina reported.
There are currently some 5,000ha of avocados being cultivated in Peru and the country’s authorities estimate that it could export up to 19,000 tonnes of fruit to the US every year once the export agreement is in place, the news agency added.
