Costa Rican entrepreneurs and avocado producers have expressed their dissatisfaction after the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) announced that the country's fruit plantations were free from the sunblotch virus. Sources from the Chamber of Exporters and Importers of Perishables (CEIPP) pointed out that they were not surprised by this, given how the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) has shown to be inaccurate or incorrect from a technical standpoint over the last few years.
"It is unfortunate to see the SFE making use of this to justify its actions, even though there are expert plant pathologists like Miguel Obregón who have verified the presence of the sunblotch disease in local avocado plantations by sending samples to laboratories abroad," explained Randall Benavides, president of the CEIPP.
He added that the SFE cannot be judge and jury in actions intended to confirm the presence of this viroid in local Hass avocado plantations, given that they were precisely the ones closing the door to imports without strong enough technical foundations in place to assess the possible risk of contagion through the fruit.
"In the interest of transparency, it would be advisable for these studies to be carried out again with the participation of all interested parties, to which end a request was issued last November to the Minister of the MAG, Luis Felipe Arauz, for confirmation from a governing body under the provisions of the Public Administration Act, which was dismissed on the argument that it was not legally appropriate," stated Benavides.
The CEIPP believes that the samples should be sent to an independent laboratory in any country where the viroid exists in order to make good use of their experience in identifying such diseases.
Source: La Prensa Libre