The president of Paraguay's National Plant and Seed Quality and Health Service (SENAVE), Agronomist Pastor Soria, announced that work is being done to strengthen the quality and health of mango production to export this crop.
The head of the phytosanitary body participated in the Family Agriculture Fair held on the Asunción waterfront, where the first national mango production with quality and safety certification was presented.
Photo: SENAVE.
"We'll be able to export the first batches in two years. To achieve this, we'll work with foreign technicians, just as we did with the entry of bananas into Chile. If we manage to enter the Chilean market, we'll be able to access the world," he said.
Controlling the fruit fly pest is a challenge when exporting, as it threatens the fruits' quality and health, he stressed.
SENAVE is carrying out surveillance programs for this pest, he said adding that this issue had to be tackled in a sustained manner.
Mango certification
The certified mango production belongs to the farmer Merardo Franco, from the district of Eusebio Ayala, in the department of Cordillera, who has about 100 mango plants of the Tommy Atkins variety on 1 hectare.
SENAVE technicians explained that the certification had been achieved thanks to the work started several months ago installing fruit fly traps, taking samples to check for pesticide residues, and carrying out tasks to classify the product by size, color, and caliber.
Producer Merardo Franco thanked SENAVE for its support to achieve the certification. He also said this work helped improve the production's volume and health, giving producers and consumers greater opportunities and benefits.
The items that can be certified are: tomato, locote, onion, potato, carrot, watermelon, pineapple, mamón, strawberry, mango, avocado, melon, and orange.
For more information:
SENAVE