The State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) has two options to solve the conflict that started more than a year ago, when Costa Rica closed its borders to the imports of Hass avocados from Mexico.
The proposals are that Mexico defines the areas free from the sunblotch plague and issue a certificate, and that a technical committee makes a plague risk assessment upon which the country will protect avocados imports.
These alternatives arose after Marco Vinicio Jiménez took over as the new SFE’s director, after the departure of Francisco Dall’Anese, who allegedly resigned due to political pressure after implementing an additional inspection on pineapple production.
While the dispute continues, importers and restaurant owners complain about the price and quality of the fruit brought from other countries.