The Valencian citrus sector could lose 124M € due to the EU-South Africa agreement

LA UNIÓ of Llauradors of Valencia claims that the new trade agreement between the European Union and some African countries like South Africa, adopted by the European Parliament on September 14th and in the absence of ratification of the Council of Ministers of the EU and African governments endangers directly revenues over 124 million euros for the citrus sector of Valencia.

According to a report by the agricultural organization, there is a clear economic and phytosanitary threat to citrus production in the Valencia region. Therefore, LA UNIÓ is committed to introduce some measures in the trade agreement. To this end, will conduct a campaign to review the agreement with all authorities and competent authorities in the subject or susceptible to pressure, both at EU level as national, regional or local level, so that is not detrimental to European producers of citrus .

Thus, LA UNIÓ projects to send a report detailing the situation and the measures to be adopted through a new trade protocol to the authorities of the European Commission in agricultural matters and all Spanish MEPs; the Ministry of Agriculture, members of the Committee on Agriculture and to all deputies and senators of Valencia; all groups of les Corts Valencianes and all municipalities of Valencia located in Citrus growing areas to make proposals for motions.

Valencia, main European producing area, has a volume of 732.247 tons (18.52% of the total of all citrus) varieties that would be directly affected by the extension of period imports of oranges from South Africa

Other 919.593 tons of varieties of mandarins could also be affected indirectly, with a decrease in home prices by increasing supply of citrus in the markets. Only those varieties of oranges which directly affects them would have an approximate market value of more than 124 million euros.

As pointed out by this organization, until this year the period of importation of citrus from South Africa ended on October 15, but the new Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the countries of Southern Africa (including South Africa) extends the same to the November 30 with a progressive annual decline in prices of entry to their total disappearance in 2025.

According to LA UNIÓ extending this period of importation involves the possibility of entry of high volumes of citrus in the last days of these new dates, so as to cause the presence of South African oranges in the markets until beyond Christmas, with direct clear condition for European productions.

“The possibility of entry of oranges from South Africa for a month and a half is an obvious tool to pressure prices downward origin in the hands of intermediaries”

Apart from the economic threat is the plant because we must not forget that in South Africa the dreaded plague of “black spot” of citrus caused by a fungus that becomes the main fungal disease of citrus worldwide is present. During 2015, 45 shipments of citrus from South Africa with the presence of harmful agents were detected in the European Union.

To alleviate this situation detrimental to the interests of European producers of citrus, LA UNIÓ poses a new protocol trade relations with South Africa that includes a number of points that safeguard farming in the area of the European Union.

These measures will demand is the establishment of quotas “regressive” import where the largest amounts of imports are set during June to September and from October will progressively declining volumes of citrus fruit imported to levels not disturb the Community market when enter the European market varieties.

LA UNIÓ also requests that have a single input port citrus from South Africa to the European Union and, preferably, is that of Valencia for its proximity to the points of re-export to EU markets. Calls for the establishment in this port of phytosanitary inspectors specializing in pests and quarantine diseases like black spot of citrus, to carefully inspect every shipment from South Africa and raise the number of random samples of citrus and documentary checks increase, identity and plant health.

LA UNIÓ calls also a body of Europeans phytosanitary inspectors in the ports of origin, by the South African industry, in order to minimize the output of shipments presence of “black spot”

And finally demand to review and improve, as far as possible, the transport protocol citrus, especially as regards temperatures of the containers.

Source: LA UNIÓ of Llauradors