Mexico avocado pest-free zones, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRICULTURA) is operating a National Campaign Against Avocado Pests in 15 states to protect national avocado production, which totals nearly 3 million tons annually.
According to the source, the strategy has certified 243,926 hectares, or 93 percent of the cultivated area in Mexico, as free of avocado borers, directly benefiting more than 94,000 small and medium-scale producers.
With support from the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Senasica), the federal secretariat has certified 103 municipalities and 12 agro-ecological zones as free of the avocado branch borer, the small and large avocado seed borers, and the seed borer moth, pests whose larvae feed on the seed and branches of the tree.
The source notes that without proper phytosanitary management, damage could cause the loss of up to 90 percent of production. Establishing pest-free zones is said to reduce production costs related to managing regulated pests, improve avocado prices, and maintain and expand markets.
To qualify, municipalities and agro-ecological zones must comply with Mexican Official Standards NOM-069-FITO-1995 and NOM-066-FITO-1995, and must present a viable work plan supported by fruit sampling and records from Internal Verification Points. The designation is valid for 24 months, during which producers must maintain phytosanitary measures.
