Paraguay is preparing to export its first shipment of 26 tons of bananas to Chile within the next 15 days. The shipment, produced by Misionero S.R.L farm in Vy'a Renda, San Pedro, meets Chile's stringent requirement of zero presence of cochineal, a common banana pest. The move comes after Paraguay's Ministry of Agriculture authorized banana exports to Chile, a market worth USD 220 to 230 million annually, following a successful phytosanitary certification process.