South African citrus exporters are being urged to avoid shipping fruit to Spain due to stringent inspection processes.
So far several shipments of citrus have been destroyed in Spain and the South African Citrus Growers Association is now urging producers to export EU-destined fruit to northern Europe instead.
However, the warning may have come too late for most producers as shipments have either already arrived or on the water.
Meanwhile, the Valencian citrus sector is reported to be pushing Brussels to establish consistent inspections throughout the entire EU.
