Quarantine agency to increase inspections on custard apple exports of Taiwan

Taipei, Dec. 14 (CNA) The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) announced Thursday that it will boost quarantine sampling of custard apple exports to China. Starting Thursday, quarantine sampling of exports of atemoya -- a hybrid variety of custard apples -- to China will step up from the current double the rate other produce is subject to, to triple, the APHIA said. Inspectors will also intensify checks on boxes deep inside shipment containers, the APHIA added. If pests are found at the scene, the supplier will be requested to improve, and produce would then be resampled, with quarantine certificates only issued when no pests are found, it added. The stricter sampling and examination was a response to pests reportedly being detected in a recent container of custard apples exported to China. The batch was exported to China earlier this month, the first shipment after the country suspended imports of a variety of fruits in September 2021 due to pest concerns. The ...