Argentina: Producers of Corrientes blueberries intensify quality control with INTA and SENASA

14/03/2018

This week an articulated work between APAMA, INTA and SENASA was finalized to include Corrientes plantations in the Official National Monitoring Program of the Fruit Fly. After several working meetings between producers and national and provincial states, the blueberry plantations of the province of Corrientes will be included in the National Program of Control and Eradication of Fruit Fly (PROCEM), according to information sent to DIARIOJUNIO.

The agreement punctually distributes contributions for the financing of the program that will be applied in different fields of Cornellian blueberry producers associated with APAMA. The provincial government committed funds to cover costs of the laboratory and established the places where INTA Bella Vista and SENASA Regional Center will take personal samples in Governor Virasoro.

APAMA will provide the inputs and human resources that will collect the samples in a weekly tour. In this way, the Corrientes production begins to be included in the Official National Monitoring.

In Corrientes, there are currently around 170 productive hectares of blueberries, which are distributed in eight productive establishments.

To continue guaranteeing quality controls, an agreement was concluded between the Association of Blueberry Producers of Mesopotamia Argentina (APAMA); the INTA Bella Vista; SENASA, through PROCEM based in Chajari; and the Ministry of Production of Corrientes, through the Directorate of Vegetable Production.

Bernardo Repice and Raúl Chiovetta participated for SENASA. For Plant Health, the director Mariela Pletsch, and the technicians Paola Martínez, José Sánchez and Adriana Alve. By the INTA its director Luis Mestres and the researcher in Entomology Alcides Aguirre. Producers from the firm Esteros Azules and Agroberries SA participated for APAMA

During the next week a new meeting will be held within the framework of the COPROSAVE (Provincial Commission of Plant Health) where the budget items for the 2018 campaign will be agreed. The arandanero sector has been part of this commission since July of the 2017.

Source: June newspaper