China has amended the phytosanitary protocol governing imports of citrus from Peru, paving the way for wider access to the Chinese market for Peruvian suppliers.
The products covered by the amendments are grapefruits, oranges, mandarins or tangerines and their hybrids. From now on products that have been subjected to 21 days of cold treatment against fruit flies at a temperature of 2.22°C will be allowed entry to China. “Increasing the temperature and extending the time of exposure will result in less damage to citrus fruits quality and as a result exports to China are expected to increase,” reported Senasa.
The amendments were the result of intense negotiations between Senasa, ProCitrus and the Peruvian Embassy in China. Peru first negotiated a deal to ship citrus to China in 2008 but until now the market has effectively remains closed as shipments are not able to withstand the current requirements on cold treatment.
ProCitrus manager Sergio del Castillo told Fruitnet that Peru has been undergoing a process of varietal renewal to enable it to better suit the demands of new markets such as Asia. “In terms of new acreage, Tango and Nadorcott have become the most widely planted varieties in the past two years,” he notes. “Thanks to Peru’s dry, warm climate we’re able to achieve high yields and very good quality, and our early marketing window means we complement many other Southern Hemisphere suppliers rather compete with them directly.”
