Senegal is still stumbling over the regulations governing the export of mangoes to the European Union (EU). Containers continue to be intercepted at borders.This is because of fruit flies.As proof, this year, Senegal like other countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region received more than twenty notifications of non-compliance with the requirements of the European market.In short, almost a hundred notifications of non-compliance were sent to African countries that identify with this economic space, according to AbdoulayeNdiaye, head of the Plant Legislation and Quarantine Division at the Directorate of Plant Protection (DPV).« Already in July, we were at four interceptions with 3600 tons exported.If we had to stop in July, there would not even be a campaign.It had to continue, but unfortunately, in August, we received at least 24 notifications.There were at least 30 containers intercepted at European borders, » Ndiaye said.And to indicate that it has emerged several times from the audit made in relation to the certificates of nonconformity, the weakness of the fight against fruit flies, whose bites are one of the causes of the ban on the introduction of mangoes into the European Union.El Hadji Omar Dieng, in charge of the Innovative Regional Fruit Flies Control System in West Africa (Syrimao) project, highlights the lack of reaction of producers to the alert made in this regard.« The daily accumulation makes 15 million fruit flies caught.The situation is alarming, » says Dieng, who referred to the monitoring devices put on the production areas of the mango sector.
 « This year has been particularly challenging with climate change and the surge in notifications, » says Ndiaye.He specifies that « this is what justified a European Union letter to alert,  » addressed to Senegal since October 5.Hence the meeting held last Tuesday, to be able to articulate the response to the European Union within an interval of at least two months, to follow up on the flowering of cases of non-compliance in the Senegalese mango sector exports to the EU market.« The repetition of these cases of non-compliance is likely to lead the European Union to take safeguard measures.A safeguard measure can be a trade restriction, an embargo on Senegalese mango.I think things are serious, » commented the head of the plant legislation and quarantine division at the Directorate of Plant Protection (Dpv), while inviting the actors « to more professionalisation« , in order to maintain market shares at the level of the European Union through the mango sector, whose income for Senegal is estimated at more than ten billion CFA francs.By Amadou MBODJI / ambodji@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH