Dominican Republic reinforces fruit fly controls to maintain mango exports

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Agriculture has introduced new phytosanitary measures to strengthen Dominican mango exports to the United States and Europe by enhancing fruit fly monitoring and complying with international sanitary standards.

The measures include appointing engineer Jeurys Arias to lead the fruit fly monitoring program, inspecting all 2,089 traps used to detect Anastrepha obliqua in Peravia—home to about 80% of the country’s export mango production—and improving surveillance, georeferencing, and data management systems.

The ministry said the actions respond to recommendations made by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in 2023 to address weaknesses in pre-inspection protocols. Agriculture Minister Francisco Oliverio Espaillat reactivated the stricter controls to ensure continued access to the U.S. market.

Emidio Gómez, director of Health and Food Safety, said that between 85% and 90% of the yellow-skinned mango crop had already been exported to the United States before the new measures took effect, leaving only about 10% of the harvest remaining.

He added that exports of green- and red-skinned mango varieties to Europe, which began in May, continue on schedule, noting that the country remains free of the Ceratitis capitata fruit fly. The ministry also pledged continued technical support for producers to maintain the Dominican Republic’s competitiveness in international mango markets.