Fruit producers and exporters from northwestern Argentina moved closer to resuming shipments to the United States after meeting with U.S. importers at the PMA Fresh Summit convention in Orlando, Fla., two Argentinian websites reported.

The South American delegation, led by Mendoza Gov. Celso Jaque, set out to re-establish relationships in America now that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared Mendoza a fruit-fly ree zone and lifted restrictions that had been in place since 1995 for cherries, peaches, pears and plums, the websites elsolonline.com and mendozaopina.com said.

Being declared fruit-fly free eliminates requirements for quarantine, thus reducing export costs.

Argentinian exporters want to resume shipping  stonefruits and regain market share that had been taken by Chile, mendozaopina.com reported.

Two local companies – Frutas Escartin and Frutícola Carleti – reached agreements with U.S. importers to restart exports of cherries, peaches, plums and pears, and shipments could begin in January, elsolonline.com reported.

“We gave a historical presentation and took the first step to reconquering such an important market,” said Javier Espina, subsecretary of industrial promotion for Mendoza.

Photo: www.inta.gov.ar

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com