The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) (Third Amendment) Order, 2024. This order envisages the import of fruits for consumption of Persea americana (Avocado) from South Africa. The order was issued on April 1, 2024.
The order explains that these imports of avocado should bear the following additional declarations in their Phytosanitary certificate:
- Free from:
a) Avocado Sunblotch viroid (Avocado Sun blotch)
b) Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly)
c) Ceratitis cosyra (Mango fruit fly)
d) Ceratitis rosa (Natal fruit fly)
e) Cornu aspersum (Common Garden snail)
f) Milviscutulus mangiferae (Mango shield scale)
g) Sphaceloma perseae (Avocado scab)
h) Spodoptera littoralis (Cotton leafworm)
Such import shall also be subject to the following special conditions:
- Export consignment must comply with Systems Approach for production and export and
- Following steps for protection against Mediterranean fruit fly, Natal fruit fly and Mango fruit fly:
- Methyl bromide fumigation @ 32 g/m3 for 2 hrs at 21ºC or above at NAP or
- In-transit cold treatment at 2ºC for 19 days plus in-transit refrigeration
- The details of treatment and production under Systems Approach should be endorsed in Phytosanitary Certificate issued at the Country of Origin/re-export
