Mexican Farmers want to block the import of potatoes from the US

Since the a country's plant health is not negotiable, potato farmers will avoid at all costs importing potatoes from the US. The Ministries of Economy in both countries engaged in an agreement to carry this out, without consulting health authorities or the farmers themselves. This would cause not only the loss of thousands of jobs, but will create unfair competition.

At a press conference, the president of the Association of Potato Producers of Yaqui Valley, Ricardo Parada Laborin, stated that Mexico has always tried to prevent this product from the United States entering the country, but this agreement was recently made, and from January 2013 the entry of the potato will be allowed without examening the product.

Meanwhile, the non-governmental representative of the Potato Product System in the State, Eduardo Pedroza mentioned that they have the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and SENASICA, and therefore they will seek alternatives to prevent this from happening.

He said that if the entry of potato is allowed into Mexico, not only would it affect the entire development of the productive chain of this product, but more than 70,000 families who work directly and indirectly in this industry will lose.

Finally, he said that the U.S. Senate is pressuring the Ministry of Economy in Mexico for the approval of new protocol on risk mitigation, in which it states that there wouldn`t be any health plant problem with the country.

Source Tribuna (Freshplaza)