RP pushes to get mangoes into Hawaii

RP pushes to get mangoes into Hawaii

MANILA: The Philippines is negotiating with the United States to allow its mangoes to be exported to Hawaii and Guam where certain quarantine rules should not apply, an Agriculture Department spokesman said on Tuesday.

The Philippines is arguing that a U.S. quarantine on most Filipino mangoes, imposed to keep out the seed weevil pest, should not apply to Guam and Hawaii since both areas also have the same pest, spokesman Fermin Diaz said.

The Philippine government applied in September, 2003 for the revision of the U.S. rules on quarantine and it is hoped that such imports can be approved by March, 2005, Diaz said. -- AFP