USDA proposes allowing Colombian avocado imports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has proposed updating its regulations to allow the import of Hass avocados from Colombia into the United States.    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has proposed updating its regulations to allow the import of Hass avocados from Colombia into the United States.
   To be eligible, the agency said the avocados would need to be produced under a “systems approach” and be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate to ensure they can be safely imported in the United States free of pests.
   At the request of the Colombian government, APHIS said it prepared a pest risk assessment and risk management document, which identified four pests that are a concern, if left unmitigated.
   To address these concerns, the agency said avocados must be commercial shipments; packed in registered, pest-free packing houses; inspected by Colombian plant health officers for quarantine pests; and have a phytosanitary certificate with additional declaration that states all these conditions are met.