US moves avocado inspections to Mexico, raising concerns

California avocado growers are raising concerns about a U.S. decision to transfer pest inspections from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) personnel to the Mexican government. USDA inspectors have traditionally played a critical role in protecting avocado imports from Mexico from potentially being infested with pests harmful to the U.S. avocado industry. The shift is a departure from practices established in 1997, which were aimed at protecting U.S. crops from invasive species.

The California Avocado Commission has expressed concerns about the effectiveness of Mexican inspectors in enforcing the strict standards previously enforced by USDA inspectors, particularly in light of threats and violence directed at USDA personnel in Mexico. These concerns stem from previous incidents in which USDA inspectors were threatened for refusing to certify shipments that did not meet U.S. standards, leading to temporary suspensions of inspections.

Despite Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry’s claim that the new agreement symbolizes U.S. confidence in Mexican growers, who reportedly haven’t experienced any sanitation issues in more than 27 years, the reality of threats and violence against USDA inspectors tells a different story. Notably, in 2022, inspection activities were halted after a USDA inspector was threatened in Michoacan, a region known for drug cartel extortion and one of only two states in Mexico certified to export avocados to the U.S.

This decision has prompted the California Avocado Commission to seek clarity on the rationale behind replacing APHIS inspectors with their Mexican counterparts, especially given the critical role these inspections play in protecting the U.S. avocado industry from pests. The U.S., which relies heavily on Mexican avocado imports to meet demand, now faces uncertainty about the future effectiveness of pest management of imported avocados.

Source: AP News