06162016Thu
Last updateFri, 10 Jun 2016 6am

US finally okays Jalisco avocados

Avocados from Jalisco will soon be on supermarket shelves in the United States after an absence of almost a century.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has given the green light for the renewal of exports after scientists concluded there is no danger of plagues from Jalisco-grown avocados entering U.S. territory.

Present at the announcement in the Jalisco Government Palace last week was Ed Avalos, under secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval said the new ruling would benefit around 1,300 avocado farmers in 12 municipalities, who already export 60,000 tonnes of the fruit each year to Europe, Asia and South and Central America.

In the eyes of many, Jalisco had been unfairly singled out by the United States, which imports huge numbers of avocados from other parts of Mexico.

Production of avocados in Jalisco has grown by 300 percent in the past three years, from 40,000 to 120,000 tons.

Local agriculture officials suggest the paperwork for exports to commence could be completed within two months.

In a light-hearted aside, Avalos said he hoped to see avocados from Jalisco being consumed at next year’s Super Bowl. According to some data, around 200 million dollars’ worth of Mexican avocados are eaten during the United States’ biggest annual sporting event.

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