Agricultural auditors find insects in wooden packaging from abroad

During a routine inspection at the Port of Santos, São Paulo, last Thursday (7), an alarm was triggered by federal agricultural tax auditors. The team identified the presence of two insects on pallets that stored imported goods. Along with the insects, the presence of sawdust and other residues that signal active infestations in the wood was observed, a worrying indicator that does not yet allow us to determine the potential economic damage to Brazilian agriculture.

When the presence of quarantine pests is detected, that is, those that do not exist in Brazil, the goods and wooden packaging involved can be subjected to specific treatments and even returned abroad, following current legislation. The adoption of these measures becomes essential to safeguard the country's planted and native forests against the confirmed risk of these pests.

Ricardo Leite, one of the agricultural auditors involved in the inspection, highlighted the importance of this surveillance. “Inspections on wooden packaging, especially those from Asia, are crucial to prevent the entry of pests that can cause significant economic losses for the country, affecting both forestry plantations and agricultural crops,” he explained.

The insects found were promptly sent for analysis in a specialized laboratory. The Department of Plant Health of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) is now conducting a detailed risk assessment to guide future surveillance actions. The objective is to prevent the entry and spread of these pests in the national territory. As part of the standard procedure, the occurrence will be communicated to the National Phytosanitary Protection Organizations of exporting countries, as a measure to reinforce existing preventive actions.