Agriculture ministry officially recognises areas as being free from grapevine moth
The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (Mapa) has officially recognised parts of Argentina as being free from Lobesia botrana (grapevine moth), paving the way for improved market access for a range of crops.
The move will improve the competitiveness of Argentine fruits from pest-free areas, including blueberries, plums, pomegranates, and grapes, which will now be able to enter the Brazilian market without the need for post-harvest quarantine treatment, such as methyl bromide fumigation or the application of a risk mitigation system to ensure the absence of the pest, as previously required by the neighbouring country.
Lobesia botrana causes losses in fruit production and quality and facilitates the proliferation of fungi that cause fruit rot.
Since 2010, Argentina’s plant health authority Senasa has been carrying out monitoring, control, and containment actions in the provinces where the pest is present, primarily in Mendoza and San Juan.
