South African citrus farmers may have to find markets other than the European Union (EU) for their citrus exports. This follows the EU’s decision to ban this season’s citrus crop as a result of fungal black spot.
AgriSA president, Johannes Moller, says the EU’s ban on local citrus is an artificial trade barrier imposed at the request of European farmers fighting for a bigger market share.
South Africa is the biggest citrus exporter to the EU ringing up R13 billion sales a year.
But this year EU inspectors were on the lookout for black spots, fearing that it might spread to Europe’s citrus groves, especially in Spain. Before the South African season ended last month, 36 shipments were turned back and on Thursday a ban was placed on further exports this year.
The European Food Safety Authority is to release a decision next month about future exports. Letsitele farmers say they have exported citrus to Europe for the past 80 years without transmitting black spot.
AgriSA meanwhile says farmers will have to look for new markets regardless of whether the ban is maintained in the New Year. These will include South Africa’s fellow BRICS nations – Brazil, India, China and Russia.
While harmless to humans, citrus black spot causes unsightly lesions on the fruit and leaves, reducing both harvest quality and quantity.