The Government of Peru has requested the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to authorize the importation of fresh pitahaya (Selenicereus costaricensis, S. megalanthus, S. monacanthus and S. undatus) to US.
APHIS announced that it had developed a pest risk assessment document that describes the potential pests associated with the product.
The original market access was for fresh commercial pitahaya Hylocereus costaricensis, H. megalanthus, H. monacanthus and H. undatus. However, the currently accepted scientific name for these species is Selenicereus costaricensis, S. megalanthus, S. monacanthus, and S. undatus, respectively (National Genetic Resources Program, 2021). Thus, APHIS developed the pest risk assessment with the current taxonomy of the product.
As reported by the agency itself, APHIS shares draft pest risk assessments to determine if stakeholders have information that could lead to a review of the draft assessment before identifying pest risk mitigations so as to proceed with the process to approve this import.
The draft pest risk assessment for pitahaya will be available for review and comment until August 23, 2021.
Source: gestion.pe