MEXICO CITY (AP) — California avocado growers are fuming this week about a U.S. decision to hand over pest inspections of Mexican orchards to the Mexican government.
Because the United States also grows avocados, U.S. inspectors observe orchards and packing houses in Mexico to ensure exported avocados don’t carry pests that could hurt U.S. crops.
The letter added, "We are looking for specifics as to why you have concluded that substituting APHIS inspectors with Mexican government inspectors is in our best interest."
Only the states of Michoacan and Jalisco are certified to export avocados to the United States.
Some packers in Mexico buy avocados from other, non-certified states, and try to pass them off as being from Michoacan.
Persons:
Tom Vilsack, “
Organizations:
MEXICO CITY, U.S . Department of Agriculture, U.S . Department of Agriculture’s, Plant Health, Service, Mexico's Agriculture Department, U.S, packers, The U.S . Department of Agriculture, Growers, Associated Press
Locations:
MEXICO, California, Mexico, U.S, United States, Michoacan, Jalisco, The, America, Caribbean