US hints at tougher measures on citrus imports

Ray Smuts
AS IF Western Cape citrus producers are not already walking the proverbial extra mile to land their product in the lucrative United States market, calls are mounting Stateside for new get-tough measures in imports.
The California Department of Agriculture has asked the US Government to institute more stringent regulations on imported citrus - particularly from countries like Morocco and South Africa where the Mediterranean fruit fly is prevalent - after a recent shipment of Clementine oranges from Spain bore evidence of the pest's presence.
The Western Cape is the only area in South Africa permitted to export citrus to the United States at present, a process that got underway just three years ago subject to a number of pre-conditions including pre-export inspection by a US Government inspector, accredited black spot- free orchards, and in-transit sterilisation for 22 days at minus 0,6C.
This past season, about 1,2 million cartons of citrus (Clementines, Navels and Midnights) were exported to the US from the Western Cape and Capespan's Christo Botha estimates the province will sell around 850 000 cartons of Navels, 200 000 cartons of Valencia types and up to 500 000 cartons of Clementines in North America during the coming season (May to October).
The US is the most lucrative market for Cape citrus growers who receive between $12 and $20 for a 15kg carton and around $4 for a 2,5kg carton,compared to $8 and $3 respectively in Europe.
Botha, the giant marketer's general manager for North America, the Middle and Far East, told FTW he believed any US action against new would-be citrus exporters would be targeted at "the new kids on the block - the likes of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay - rather than established exporters like South Africa and Australia which have been at it for ten years already, exporting to a single receiver.
Argentinian citrus gained access to the US market about two years ago but was subsequently prohibited and Botha thinks it likely argument could be put forward by the Land of the Pampas for a resumption of trade on the same conditions as those applicable to South Africa.
"The best the US can do is keep the new boys out, however it could make it more difficult for us if they try to protect their own producers, but no matter what they throw at us we can handle."
Asked what sort of new measures might be in the offing, Botha believes they could include tighter pre-shipment inspection, longer in-transit sterilisation which might impact negatively on shelf life and taste, and fumigation on arrival in the US.
The US has been looking at permitting Vaalharts near Kimberley - a relatively new citrus producing region - to become South Africa's second accredited citrus exporter, but this could take two or three years to come about.