USDA clears way for Philippine bananas and Central American dragonfruit

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Fresh dragonfruit (pitaya) from Central America and bananas from the Philippines will be allowed into the USA following regulatory changes issued by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), reports The Packer.  The USDA will allow fresh pitaya grown in Central America to be imported into the US as of May 16, provided it is packed according to USDA phytosanitary protoc0ls. The ruling means that Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama can now export the fruit to the USA. Bananas from the Philippines will also be accepted, provided they are harvested green, monitored for fruit flies and shipped in commercial quantities. USDA expects total Philippine banana imports to be around 1,800 tonnes, or 100 container loads, per year.