SAAGA supports the legal importation of avocado fruit from Tanzania.

The following is a press release made by Subtrop CEO Derek Donkin.

“South Africa and Tanzania are each members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and subsequently formally have interaction on phytosanitary points/ dangers with commerce companions in accordance the rights and obligations of the WTO SPS Agreement and the IPPC.

SAAGA has participated in the course of to finalise a South African phytosanitary workplan (import protocol) for the import of contemporary avocado fruit from Tanzania. A file of SAAGA’s involvement, by means of Subtrop which manages the affairs of SAAGA, is detailed beneath.

On 20 July 2020, DALRRD forwarded Subtrop a draft phytosanitary workplan for the import of contemporary avocado fruit from Tanzania for inputs and feedback. Our feedback and inputs have been submitted to DALRRD on 29 July 2020.

In August 2020, a SAAGA member who processes avocados contacted me relating to the risk of importing avocados from Tanzania for processing. I contacted with the Acting Director of Plant Health at the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), who knowledgeable me that it must be doable to rearrange a particular import allow for fruit to be processed. Such a allow would come with particular process for disposing of waste. Similar permits for the import of mangoes from different African nations for processing had been issued in the previous. I additionally referred the SAAGA member talked about above to the Fresh Produce Importers’ Association (FPIA) to help with import issues. The member subsequently joined the FPIA and labored with them to facilitate the course of with DALRRD to acquire an import allow for processing.

On 23 November 2020, the FPIA approached Subtrop to search out out whether or not we might help the finalisation of the import protocols for contemporary avocado fruit with out the customary bodily verification go to by DALRRD to the exporting nation resulting from the COVID-19 journey restrictions. A digital verification inspection would subsequently expedite the finalisation of the import protocols.

Subtrop supported this proposal as onerous, inexperienced avocado fruit, which do not need False Codling Moth (FCM) or different injury represent a low phytosanitary danger for relating to Bactrocera dorsalis which is the predominant phytosanitary pest of concern. It must be famous that Phytosanitary measures are essential to mitigate the danger of importing avocado fruit which isn’t onerous, inexperienced, and free of FCM or different injury. It is also necessary to notice that B. dorsalis will not be current to all areas of South Africa. Consequently, phytosanitary measures for this pest are crucial to guard fruit manufacturing in areas free of this pest and safeguard exports of fruit from these areas to sure markets. This is why South African growers are required to have elimination permits when transferring avocados out of an space the place Bactrocera dorsalis happens.

On 15 December 2020, the FPIA, after discussions with related DALRRD officers, emailed the DALRRD Chief Director of Plant Health recommending that DALRRD finalise the protocol for the import of Tanzanian avocados and not using a bodily verification go to to Tanzania resulting from the COVID-19 journey restrictions. This e-mail clearly acknowledged that there was an out-of-season scarcity of avocados in South Africa and that the import of avocados from Tanzania can be helpful.

The FPIA has since been encouraging DALRRD to finalise the import protocol and has reported that DALRRD has communicated to the Tanzanian Department of Agriculture that DALRRD is keen to finalise the protocol and not using a bodily verification go to. DALRRD has requested the Tanzanian Department of Agriculture to suggest dates for a digital assembly to finalise the protocol. In addition, the Tanzanian exporter has been suggested by FPIA to contact the Tanzanian Department of Agriculture to request them to expedite replying to the request from DALRRD.”