Mexico and OIRSA
Since 1953, Mexico has been a part of the Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria(OIRSA). In that year, a Mexican delegation participated, along with the governments of Central America and Panama, in the fifth conference of Agriculture Ministers in the region. During this event, it was agreed to establish the Regional International Committee on Agricultural Health (CIRSA), the governing body of OIRSA, with the aim of coordinating or suggesting preventive measures and combat strategies against diseases and pests affecting agriculture and livestock in the region.
Since that year, OIRSA has consistently cooperated with Mexican governmental authorities. In 1996, through a cooperation agreement between OIRSA and the Secretariat of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources (currently SADER) established the International Service for Airport Waste Treatment and the International Fumigation Service (SIF), now known as the International Quarantine Services (SITC), was established in the country. More recently, in 2014, through the Cooperation Agreement in Agricultural, Aquacultural, and Fisheries Health, a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food (SAGARPA) and OIRSA was formalized.
Additionally, nowadays, there are various cooperation projects with the current Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) with the aim of supporting, promoting, and strengthening the development of programs that facilitate the commercial exchange of animal and plant products without sanitary risks. The goal is to enhance their competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.
The OIRSA Representation in Mexico supports actions for projects, both within Mexican territory and in the region's countries, in the areas of Animal Health, Plant Health, Agri-food Safety, Aquaculture and Fisheries, and Phytosanitary Inspection.
The Servicio Internacional de Tratamientos Cuarentenarios (SITC) has ten SITC stations in the country:
| Quarantine station | State |
| Ciudad Hidalgo | Chiapas |
| Talismán | Chiapas |
| Ciudad Cuauhtémoc | Chiapas |
| Suchiate II | Chiapas |
| Huixtla | Chiapas |
| La Trinitaria | Chiapas |
| Chac-Temal | Quintana Roo |
| Subteniente López | Quintana Roo |
| El Ceibo | Tabasco |
| Nuevo Laredo | Tamaulipas |
| Manzanillo | Colima |
The SITC stations operate with the purpose of assisting SADER in reducing the risk of entry of economically and quarantine-significant pests and diseases through spraying and disinfection of vehicles coming from Guatemala and Belize, primarily. The entry points at Suchiate II, Chiapas, and Subteniente López, Quintana Roo, are authorized by SADER-SENASICA to carry out fumigations with Methyl Bromide and Aluminum/Magnesium Phosphide on vegetables, products, and by-products for import, export, and domestic movement based on the NOM-022-SAG/FITO-2016, "Specifications, criteria, and phytosanitary procedures for individuals and legal entities providing phytosanitary treatment services."
Additionally, there is authorization from the Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) for the implementation of phytosanitary measures and the use of the IPPC-MX-BM mark on wooden packaging used in foreign trade, in accordance with the NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017, "Which establishes phytosanitary measures and internationally recognized mark requirements for wooden packaging used in the international trade of goods and merchandise."
Currently, there is a Concertation Agreement and its technical annexes signed between SADER-SENASICA and OIRSA, which include the application, verification, and certification of phytosanitary treatments at specific points on the northern border. This ensures an adequate level of phytosanitary protection and quality in the commercialization of products being transported or entering the national territory, as established in the NOM-022-SAG/FITO-2016.
Similarly, since 2010, OIRSA - in support of the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA) - has been involved in the OIRSA-SENASICA Project- TIF establishmentsin meeting the requirements demanded by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) through the administration and control of the activities of Authorized Responsible Veterinary Doctors (MVRATIF), who carry out sanitary inspection tasks for processed foods in Federal Inspection Type (TIF) establishments from where products are exported to the United States.
In 2014, a videoconferencing room was set up in the Representation facilities, from where agricultural topics of interest are broadcast to the entire region and other countries in the continent and around the world.
With the aim of developing and implementing improvements in the processes of development, design, elaboration, projection, and administration of veterinary biologicals produced by the National Producer of Veterinary Biologicals (PRONABIVE), a Collaboration Agreement was signed on February 12, 2018, between OIRSA and PRONABIVE. Leveraging the professional and technical expertise of OIRSA, the agreement facilitated the administration and control of specialists assigned to PRONABIVE laboratories for the development and improvement of their processes. Since 2018, the Regional Coordination of Pest Risk Analysis (ARP) was established in the Representation office and is responsible for preparing ARP studies for the region. In 2021, it was relocated to the OIRSA headquarters in San Salvador, El Salvador.
