From 2021, Chile will have to comply with phytosanitary standards for apples exported to Brazil

From January 1, 2021, fresh apples imported from Chile will have to comply with phytosanitary requirements and include treatment against the Cydia Pomonella pest, according to Normative Instruction 82, published this Wednesday (19), in the Official Gazette of the Union, by the Agricultural Defense Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa).

The standard updates phytosanitary criteria and provides for the possibility of treating fruit loads with Methyl Bromide at origin (before shipment).

With the new instruction, Chile will also be able to adopt a Risk Mitigation System (SMR) as a phytosanitary measure, which involves integrated actions applied in production, processing and certification, to minimize the risk of sending a contaminated product to Brazil. This SMR will be audited and recognized by Brazilian authorities.

Cydia pomonella is an eradicated pest in Brazil, and is now considered quarantined and under official control in the country.

Chile and Argentina are the largest apple exporters to Brazil, with Chileans sending, on average, 20 thousand tons of the fruit per year.