Seven mango producing farms in Colombia were authorized for export to the European Union

Seven mango producing farms in the Tolima department, Colombia, were authorized for export of the fruit to the European market, after passing the examination by the technicians of the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA). The farms met the fruit fly control requirements included under the Systems Approach measure.

The authorized farms are located in the municipalities of Venadillo and San Luis, with a total cultivation area of ​​64.79 hectares. The main cultivated varieties are Keitt, Tommy, Van Dyke, Filipino, Nam Dok Mai, Yulima, and others.

The farms complied with the Fly/Trap/Day (FTD) strategy less than or equal to 0.5 for Anastrepha, which reflects compliance with the ICA recommendations to facilitate the admissibility of mango in international markets.

The FTD strategy contemplates that the production areas at least 3 months before the beginning of the harvest and continuing throughout the year must have a surveillance system for fruit flies with a McPhail trap on every 20 hectares.

The service must be performed every 7 days and the attractants employed must have an ICA registration. In the same way, every week, fallen mango fruits of all varieties harvested must be collected and properly arranged. The collection center has to be guarded.

Mango exports to the European Union are carried out through the Systems Approach alternative, which allows the fruit to be dispatched without using additional quarantine treatments; given the responsibility of the producers in all farms in which the ICA provides support to consolidate free areas and areas of low prevalence of flies and other pests.

source: agronegocios.co