U.S., MEXICO EASE STONE FRUIT TRADE REGULATIONS

U.S., MEXICO EASE STONE FRUIT TRADE REGULATIONS    The U.S. Department of Agriculture completed negotiations with Mexican agricultural officials to improve the export of U.S. stone fruits to Mexico.
   USDA Secretary Ann M. Veneman said the agreement with Mexico “comes at a critical time in the export season.”
   “The agreement will allow most U.S. stone fruit to be exported to Mexico without fumigation, which can damage the qualify of the fruit, and reinstates a 1997 systems approach for exports of U.S. stone fruit,” she said.
   In late July, Mexico notified USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that starting Aug. 15, methyl bromide fumigation would be required for U.S. stone fruit entering Mexico due to pest concerns. The requirement, however, was not part of the 1997 agreement for the export of U.S. stone fruit to Mexico, and would have made it difficult for U.S. growers to export to Mexico.
   “Under the new agreement, if any other pests are detected by Mexico in a U.S. shipment at the border, the shipment will be rejected,” Veneman said.