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30695: (news) Chamberlain: Fruit flies prompt US to block Haiti mango exports (fwd)
From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>
By Joseph Guyler Delva
PORT-AU-PRINCE, July 5 (Reuters) - The United States halted mango
imports from Haiti and returned 50 shipping containers of the tropical
fruit to Haitian exporters after discovering fruit flies in crates sent
from the Caribbean nation, officials from both governments said on
Thursday.
Haiti's agriculture secretary, Joanas Gue, said the U.S. Department of
Agriculture suspended the certification of all Haitian mango exporting
companies to allow its agents time to review treatment and packaging
procedures.
"The USDA has blocked exports of our mango which is one of our leading
and most appreciated exporting products," Gue told Reuters on Thursday.
"This will badly hurt our exporting companies."
Haiti ships several million dollars worth of the tropical fruit to the
United States each year.
U.S. agents discovered fruit flies and their larvae on June 25 and on
Monday in shipments of mangoes from three facilities in Haiti, where
mangoes are supposed to be washed with hot water to ensure fruit flies are
killed.
"We suspended the program on July 2, because the failure of the hot
water treatment in three different facilities indicates it is a larger
problem rather than an isolated event," USDA spokeswoman Melissa O'Dell
told Reuters.
She said the USDA was sending experts to Haiti to review treatment and
packaging procedures before considering resumption of mango imports.
Haitian officials said the insects came from the United States in an
empty shipping container. They said Haitian exporters, who operate under
supervision of USDA agents based in Haiti, had fully followed agreed
procedures and regulations.
In addition to returning the 50 containers to Haitian exporters, the
United States blocked the shipment of more than 40,000 boxes containing at
least a dozen mangoes per box.
REUTERS