Summary
The South African season for the export of Valencia oranges to the EU has been terminated early to maintain the zero level of interceptions for citrus black spot achieved this year. The withdrawal of the UK from the EU could make this the last year such action is needed. However this would require the South African government to secure under any ‘UK-only’ trade agreement the waiving of citrus black spot controls on exports to the UK and the lifting of quantitative restrictions on citrus exports to the UK market. The removal of CBS controls on exports to the UK would not only benefit South Africa but also neighbouring Swaziland and Zimbabwe and, in the Caribbean, Belize.
Up to the end of August 2018 there had been no detections of Citrus Black Spot (CBS) in South Africa citrus exports to the EU. In the second week of September after consultations between the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), it was decided that in order to maintain this perfect record exports to the EU28 of Valencia oranges (the product most vulnerable to late citrus black spot infection) would be suspended from the 22nd of September. ‘This is seen as a proactive measure to contain the risk of increased late season CBS interceptions on late Valencias’. The Citrus Growers Association (CGA) committed to remaining vigilant prior to the 22nd September and expressed a willing to bring forward the date of termination of exports if the risk of CBS outbreaks increased (1).
Since ‘late mandarins and lemons do not present a similar risk’ their export to the EU remains unaffected by the early suspension of exports decision. This needs to be seen in a context where 90% of late mandarins and 86% of lemons had already been shipped (1).
The EU envoy of the CGA, Deon Joubert, described the 2018 season as ‘a fantastic year, for both CBS and FCM interceptions’, with only 4 interception of False Coddling Moth (FCM) infestation. This was a significant decrease compared to previous years during which FCM had been classified as a quarantine pest by the EC (see companion epamonitoring.net article ‘The Potential Differential Effects of Stricter EU False Coddling Moth Controls on African Exports’; 19 March 2018). Joubert maintained this performance provided a clear indication of the success of industry efforts to curb and closely monitor outbreaks and FCM infestations (1).
Spanish citrus producers claimed the South African decision to suspend exports affected only ‘shipments that are most convenient to them’ while maintaining exports of other varieties which are also susceptible to CBS infection (2). This indicates a continuing discontent on the part of Spanish citrus growers with the South African citrus export trade against which they have long campaigned (see companion epamonitoring.net article ‘EU Farmers Continue Campaign for Stricter EU Citrus Black Spot Controls’, 15 September 2017)
| Comment and Analysis With Spanish citrus growers continuing their critical comments despite the preventive and proactive measures being taken by the South African citrus industry to curb shipments of CBS infected or FCM infested fruit, the UK’s departure from the EU could bring some relief to South African exporters in this long running saga. If as part of the re-fitting of the existing EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) into a ‘UK-Only’ free trade agreement the South African government were to secure both the waiving of citrus black spot controls on exports to the UK (given the CBS fungal infection poses no threat to agriculture in the UK nor public health) and the lifting of quantitative restrictions on citrus exports to the UK market, then the South African citrus industry could safely extend the export seasons by focussing on the UK market at this time of the year. In this context a ‘no-deal’ Brexit or a ‘hard’ Brexit, which disrupted EU27/UK trade could see substantial new opportunities emerging for South African citrus exporters on the UK market. However this will require the issues of quota abolition and the lifting of CBS controls to be addressed as an integral part of any re-fitting of the existing EPA into a ‘UK-Only’ FTA, by perhaps as early as 30 March 2019. If these issues are not addressed as part of this process then in the light of the huge demands which will arise post Brexit the human resource constraints on the UK’s trade negotiating capacity will mean these types of issues will not be revisited for at least a decade. This issue of the removal of CBS controls on exports to the UK is not just an issue for South Africa but also neighbouring Swaziland and Zimbabwe and in the Caribbean, Belize. |
Source:
(1) Freshplaza.com, ‘South African Valencia suspension to maintain zero CBS interceptions’, 11 September 2018
http://www.freshplaza.com/article/201156/South-African-Valencia-suspension-to-maintain-zero-CBS-interceptions
(2) freshfruitportal.com, ‘South Africa, Argentina partially suspending EU-bound citrus exports’, 6 September 2018
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2018/09/06/south-africa-argentina-partially-suspend-eu-bound-citrus-exports-says-ava-asaja/