US paves way for resumption of Mexico avocado exports

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Embassy introduced Friday that Washington is lifting a ban on inspections of Mexican avocados, releasing the way for exports to renew.

Ambassador Ken Salazar stated in an announcement the choice got here after Mexico and america agreed “to enact the measures that guarantee the protection” of agricultural inspectors who’re in cost of ensuring Mexican avocados don’t carry ailments or pests that will hurt U.S. orchards.

The inspections had been halted final week after one of the U.S. inspectors was threatened within the western state of Michoacan, the place growers are routinely topic to extortion by drug cartels.

The U.S. Division of Agriculture stated Thursday that the inspector had obtained a menace “against him and his family.”

It stated the inspector had “questioned the integrity of a certain shipment, and refused to certify it based on concrete issues.”

Michoacan is the one Mexican state licensed as pest-free and in a position to export avocados to the U.S. market. There have been frequent stories that some packers in Mexico are shopping for avocados from different, non-certified states, and attempting to move them off as being from Michoacan.

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