The Irvine, Calif.-based California Avocado Commission has called the USDA to continue the current U.S./Mexico Operational Work Plan for Mexican avocados.
“As reports of corruption and violence in Mexico continue, including regions authorized for avocado exports to the U.S., it’s unimaginable the U.S. government would consider abdicating inspection responsibilities to Mexico,” Commission Vice President of Industry Affairs and Operations Ken Melban said in a news release. “U.S. farmers will not be protected under such a program, one intended and designed specifically to protect U.S. farmers’ economic interests.”
The California Avocado Commission represents California’s roughly 3,000 avocado growers who produce avocados on more than 50,000 acres in California, with an annual average farm-gate value of $367 million, based on 2018 to 2023 crop values, the release said.
The commission says the Operational Work Plan requires the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to provide direct inspection of all harvesting and packing of hass avocados for export to the U.S.
Maintaining USDA’s direct oversight ensures the integrity of the avocado inspection program in Mexico, critical to preventing the introduction of invasive pests to the U.S., the release said.
On June 19, the USDA temporarily suspended avocado inspections in Mexico because of security concerns for inspection officials, but U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said on June 24 that the inspections were gradually resuming.
The California Avocado Commission says the USDA must prevent invasive pests from entering the U.S. The threat of an invasive pest being introduced is under USDA’s control and must be prevented by using the agreed upon and necessary levels of oversight found in the operational work plan, the release said.
“The commission calls on USDA to uphold their mission and retain control of the Mexico avocado inspections as agreed upon under the current OWP,” Melban said.
