Mystery missing list prevents citrus from entering China

Shipments diverted to other Asian destinations instead
RAY SMUTS
THE NON-acceptance of a significant consignment of citrus by the Chinese last year bears the hallmark of a true whodunnit in the Perry Mason mould. The way Stuart Symington, CEO of the Cape Town-based Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, tells it, only four South African citrus orchards were initially certified coddling moth-free by the Chinese agricultural authorities, a figure that was later to increase to 154 following further inspections in loco. Late last year, when the first ships arrived full of citrus from these certified farms, the let-down came when the fruit was about to be offloaded. “We had a mishap in that the list of registered farm codes had gone astray so only citrus from the initial four orchards was allowed into the country and I had to telephone exporters to tell them the Chinese market was closed, whereupon ships were diverted and the citrus landed at other destinations like Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. “Between the South African department of agriculture and the Chinese quarantine authorities, the list had simply been lost. For a number of reasons, it was decided to close the market.” As to who is to blame for this gaffe, Symington says simply: “Nobody wants to carry the can, and although it was a great disappointment to us, I would not call it a disaster. “One does not want to create a furore and in the process sour relations but there is no doubt greater efficiency could have been demonstrated in the administration of that (the Chinese) market. “Although those four farms were initially allowed in, even those fruits were held back eventually because we felt that if false coddling was to be found on the fruit, it could jeopardise the whole project. “That is why we asked the Chinese to close the market until we had our house in order, to be able to go for long-term, sustainable, access rather than short-term gain and problems.” South Africa is now trying to get in place a protocol with China, allowing in-transit cold sterilisation of citrus at minus half a degree Celsius, the same process as that followed with citrus exports to the US. The degree/duration of in-transit sterilisation - which also kills the Mediterranean fruit fly - varies from country to country, depending on the protocols in place. Symington says there may well be a “silver lining” following the citrus mishap in China. “We are looking to get our grapes into the Chinese mainland and they are hoping to get their apples and pears to South Africa.”