Colombia capitalizes on mango export entry in Japan
Colombia has already started freighting 1,000 kilograms of Tommy Atkins mangoes a week to Japan by air after gaining export access to the country on Jul. 24.
Japan's Agricultural, Fisheries, and Forestry Ministry (MAFF) authorized Colombia's hot steam Mediterranean fruit fly quarantine treatment of this cultivar produced in Valle del Cauca and packed in Bogota's Asopitaya plant.
Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) sanitary and phytosanitary regulation undersecretary María Cristina Torres Villamil, attributed the achievement to the hard work of Valle del Cauca growers.
"This exemplary process of small producers' persistency and vision shows that, through commitment and compliance with international phytosanitary regulations and private infrastructure investment for physical treatments that eliminate the risk of pest entry into foreign territories, Colombian fruit can enter the most demanding of world markets."
ICA said the qualification and certification of Colombian steam chambers was the first step to making the plant's eligibility a reality, especially for the export of fruit fly free mangoes.
Colombia produces more than 200,000 metric tons (MT) of different mango varieties annually with 8,160 acres devoted to growing the fruit.
The country has 44 municipalities with more than 100 acres of mango tree plantations.