Peru's National Agricultural Health Service (SENASA) is up in arms about a recent decision from Ecuador to block imports of the country's grapes, peaches, watermelons, citrus and corn kernels.

Senasa plant health director general Moisés Pacheco Enciso told www.freshfruitportal.com the food safety watchdog Agrocalidad Ecuador justified suspending phytosanitary permits for imports (PFIs) based on the interception of three pests.

The insects - Panonychus citri, Carpophilus hemipterus and Ferrisia virgata - are considered quarantine pests in Ecuador, but Senasa does believe they qualify to be classified as such.

Pacheco Enciso highlighted these pests were not considered within Ecuador's list of quarantine pests not present in the country, and his organization had never been notified otherwise.

"What Agrocalidad should have done is update the phytosanitary requirements without suspending the issuance of PFIs," he said, adding it was not the first case of its kind.

"The first time the issuance of PFIs was suspended was with onion bulbs, due to an interception of Thrips palmi, a pest that is present in Ecuador and that we don't have in our country.

"Curiously, Agrocalidad is suspending issuances of PFIs for the products we export most to that country."

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