Costa Rican Tomatoes And Peppers Soon To Be On US Store Shelves January 20, 2009 It's been almost five years, but soon Costa Rican tomatoes and sweet peppers could be on store shelves in the United States by the end of the month.   The sanitary agreement between the United States and Costa Rica that would allow the import of vegetable tomatoes and peppers produced in greenhouses in selected area is almost ready to be signed.   As of today tomatoes and peppers grown in Costa Rica are not available in the US as a protection against the possible entry of fruit flies into the US.   The agreement that is expected to be signed by the end of the month is within the negotiated Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) - Central American Free Trade Agreeement (CAFTA)- that went into effect on January 1, 2009.   The first step in the process was to identify areas of production with a lower incident of the fruit fly. The area surrounding the the Central Volcanic Range was chosen. The area is well known for its cooler climate and with considerable height above sea level making it difficult for the insects.   The agreement calls for the production to be exclusively in greenhouses and controlled climate conditions, and producers have to be certified after their farms are inspected and the workers trained before exports to the US can be authorized.   The process is costly, however, the investment can be quickly recovered as the products have a higher value in the US markets.