US opens doors to Ecuadorian avocado

Ecuador’s avocados have gained access to the US market after the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) authorised imports of commercial fresh avocados of all varieties from continental Ecuador. APHIS experts determined that the use of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to minimise the risk of introducing or disseminating plant pests and noxious weeds into the US, through the importation of fresh avocado fruit from continental Ecuador. 
According to the Ecuadorian newspaper Primicias, the decision comes after almost nine years of negotiations and will help Ecuador’s Ministry of Agriculture in its aim to increase avocado production area from 6,000 hectares to 10,000 hectares. 
The change, which came into effect on May 26, comes amid pressure from the industry to increase the number of foreign avocado supplying countries available to US importers.