Governor Gustavo Sáenz denounces national banana import rule change in Argentina

Governor Gustavo Sáenz of Salta criticised the Argentine government's recent deregulation that removed a long‑standing decree restricting the import of bananas from regions affected by fungal diseases. The decree, in place since 1994, protected the province’s banana plantations from pathogens such as black sigatoka and Fusarium wilt, which could render soils unproductive for decades. Sáenz warned that the new Resolution 114/2026 “could turn the land into an unproductive desert for more than 30 years” and called the decision a “disrespect” and “total ignorance of Argentine reality.” He demanded that the national authorities consult the provinces before altering fitosanitary measures that affect roughly 3,000 hectares of Salta’s banana production. The federal government argues the changes are part of a broader update to obsolete regulations under President Javier Milei’s administration.