Additional measures
implemented by the
Perishable Products Export
Control Board (PPECB) and
Department of Forestry and
Fisheries to prevent citrus
black spot from entering
Europe on SA citrus are
paying dividends.
“If one takes into account
that there were about 40
CBS interceptions in the
EU last year, and there have
only been five to date this
year, then our systems have
improved,” said PPECB
CEO Stuart Symington.
“But is has not been easy,
and we have unfortunately
now reached the fifth
interception. This means
that the market could close
on us, or the EU could
introduce further measures
to prevent CBS from
reaching its shores.”
According to Symington,
if exports of citrus to
Europe had to stop, this
could lead to a loss of
billions of rands for the
South African citrus
growers and exporters, and
a potential loss of R50m for
the PPECB.
“We have procured new
laboratory equipment such
as microscopes to try and
detect CBS in its early
stages on the rind of the
citrus fruit.”
Symington said a strict
approach was being taken
by the PPECB
where entire
consignments
of fruit had
unfortunately
been rejected
based on
very small
quantities of
CBS being
found in
the relevant
consignment.
But that’s the
nature of this beast – we
cannot and will not take any
chances.”
He said citrus black spot
would remain high on the
agenda for the foreseeable
future, and that the
industry and
government
would need to
work closely
together to
find ongoing
solutions.
“The EU
takes about
45% of
our citrus
exports. If
that market
closed, we
would have to find an
alternative home for the
fruit. Sending this fruit
to our other markets
would put those markets
under enormous supply
pressures. That is not a
sustainable solution. So in
all likelihood, much of that
fruit would have to stay at
home. ”
Symington said that from
a PPECB perspective, it was
not all doom and gloom:
maize exports had been
extremely encouraging of
late, and with the current
favourable exchange rate for
exports, export industries
were booming. “Growers
of agricultural export
products are smiling this
year – it is not often that all
the variables are positively
aligned. So long may it last!”
INSERT & CAPTION
Growers of
agricultural export
products are smiling
this year.
– Stuart Symington
