More than 100 tons of smuggled fruits were destroyed in West Azarbaijan Province’s city of Bazargan on the Turkish border last week, director of the Plant Protection Organization Ali Baghestani said Wednesday. The cargo mainly contained tomatoes. It also carried walnuts, lime, oranges, pineapples, pears, peaches, plums and nectarines, IRNA quoted the official as saying. Fruit smuggling not only hurts domestic producers it also spreads pests and diseases in the country. Some 20 pests have been blamed on illegal fruit imports, namely Witches’ Broom Disease of Lime and the olive fruit fly, the PPO chief added.
