From the Newsroom
São Paulo – The Brazilian embassy in Tokyo announced today (21) the arrival in Japan of the first load of fresh mangos imported from Brazil. According to information supplied by the Embassy, the load ended a negotiation process between Brazilian and Japanese authorities that had lasted decades.
"In recent years, through continuous dialogue with Japanese authorities based on solid technical and scientific figures, the Brazilian authorities managed to convince the Japanese government of the standards of excellence of quality and of the safety of our mangos," according to an embassy report.
According to the statement, the entry of the Brazilian fruit in the Asian market was illegal as the local government was reluctant to accept the sterilization method used by Brazil," despite the fact that the same method is accepted by the United States and the European Union, already traditional markets for Brazilian mangos.
The solution to the problem of mango export to Japan started being worked on in September last year, when the Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, visited Brazil and announced the end of prohibition. At the occasion, during a luncheon at the Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty), offered by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the Japanese head of government, a mango desert was served.
Japan initially permitted the import of 5,200 tonnes of mango of the "Tommy Atkins" variety, which should generate US$ 10.4 million per year to the Brazilian producers. The variety is produced mainly in the Brazilian northeast.
