In February, Costa Rica's State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) and a banana company interested in exporting to Chile received inspectors from Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) for an audit that could open this market for Costa Rican bananas. This inspection is part of the efforts to comply with Chilean regulations and allow the export of bananas to this South American country.
The Chilean inspectors' visit, which lasted four days, included meetings with Costa Rican authorities to review the official inspection and national certification processes implemented by the SFE. In addition, the inspectors carried out technical visits to the company's production and packaging sites to evaluate the phytosanitary management processes in said locations.
Erick Cedeño Navarro, head of the Pest Risk Analysis Unit of the SFE, expressed his satisfaction with having demonstrated the reliability of Costa Rica's phytosanitary certification system. He stressed the importance of this visit for the banana packing and exporting sector, as it represents an opportunity to open a new market and expand destinations for domestic bananas. Officials from the SFE's Phytosanitary Certification Department, Standards and Regulations Department, and Phytosanitary Control Department participated in the activities.
Source: elmundo.cr