The State Phytosanitary Service (SFE), which is part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) decided to strengthen the supervision of the pineapple for export in the fields and in the packing plants, which would give them more time to make decisions before the products arrive to the ports, thus allowing them to minimize the risk of pests in the shipments.
The SFE will redouble controls, as it is the entity responsible for controlling the phytosanitary quality of the vegetable for export to issue phytosanitary certificates. To do this, the MAG will provide them with more personnel in the period they require.
Furthermore, the SFE will perform controls in the farms of independent producers who supply the packing plants in order to reduce the presence of pests.
Marco Vinicio Jimenez, director of the SFE, said the institution was in the best position to train and advise the country's agricultural producers on the best practices in packaging and transportation.
The authorities will also pay closer attention to the North and Atlantic Zones, which are dedicated to exporting pineapples. The idea is to expand this effort to other export crops that have had problems with pests, such as chayote and coyote coriander, among others.
Source: elmundo.cr