(CNN) — The United States has suspended avocado imports from the western Mexican state of Michoacán following a US official received a threat, the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement on Saturday.
According to the statement, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS) decided to suspend avocado inspection activities in Michoacán until further notice following one of its officials, who was working in Uruapan, Michoacán, received a threatening call on his official cell phone.
APHIS reported that an investigation is currently being carried out to evaluate the threat and determine the necessary measures to guarantee the physical integrity of all its personnel working in Michoacán.
A meeting was held between APHIS staff and representatives of the Association of Producers and Packers Exporters of Avocado of Mexico (APEAM) with local and state police to discuss the issue.
Michoacán is the only state in Mexico authorized to export avocados to the United States.
Reactions in Mexico
“APEAM is actively participating in coordination with the authorities of both countries to solve the problem in the process of reinforcing internal practices and processes that guarantee the traceability of the fruit.
“The facts mentioned here have already been a recurrence with the consequent economic impact of the entire program, affecting the industry and the more than 300,000 jobs that depend on it.
“We urge all those actors in this value chain to exercise extreme care and vigilance to preserve such an important export program,” APEAM said in a statement to the media.
Following protocols, personnel from the US health agency inspect the avocados that would be shipped and, once approved, the avocados are transferred to the packaging process, the Ministry of Agriculture mentioned.
In the last six weeks, avocado producers in Michoacán have exported more than 135 thousand tons of avocado to the US, reported the Ministry of Agriculture.
Michoacán’s geographic position on the Pacific Ocean has made it a turf war between criminal organizations fighting for territory and profits from other industries such as avocado.
