A few weeks after the start of the campaign for citrus shipments to Europe by South Africans (this was lemons and at the end of the month, oranges), the pressures not to apply cold to their oranges are intensifying. At the end of April, Justin Chadwick, CEO of the South African Citrus Growers Association –CGA, the citrus ‘lobby’ of this country- published an opinion piece in Brussels in various reference media with the following headline: ‘Countdown to resolve impasse between EU and South Africa, which is killing employment in the citrus sector’A business It produces 788,656 tons Export to EU, According to the figures of the 2022 campaign collected by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Spanish Government.
Also, recently Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of this southern country, benefited from his colleague’s visit to Pretoria. Finnish Prime Minister Sauli Niinistö “condemning protectionism” illustrated by alleged community restrictions. Weeks ago, this time before him Belgian monarch Philippe – also in the context of a trade meeting held in the African country – Ramaphosa used racist argument, if possible more dramatically, to criticize the measure, placing black citrus growers as one of the biggest victims of the Commission Union’s phytosanitary measure (since last June) Cold processing for citrus shipments from South Africa to the old continent to avoid pests.
It is a treatment that is internationally standardized and dominated by exporters, especially from South Africa.
In fact, it is an internationally standardized treatment that exporters, especially from South Africa, have to apply to their citrus exports from up to 20 countries (USA, China, Korea, India, Japan, Taiwan and Philippinesamong others).
a necessary measure
The Head of Government himself, the diplomatic agency of this country – with successive meetings of its ambassadors with actors involved in port affairs – and through this delegation the South African sector lobby In Brussels, they have redoubled their efforts to avoid breaking the rules in recent weeks and days. Cold treatment against ‘fake moth’ That the European Commission put in shipments of oranges from areas affected by this pest in June of last year. It was about influencing the European importing countries – without any interest in citrus production – to revolt against this measure, giving reasons. The pressure increased with the days before the parliament meeting. Standing Committee on Plant and Animal Plant Health (call cynical Held on 27 and 28 April, it will be the last of this event before the first ships with South African oranges begin to arrive in Europe.
The South African citrus lobby supports the arguments they made in their complaints to the WTO: that the measure was “unnecessary”, “unjustified”, “disproportionate” and “impractical”. You look different from Spain. “The methods of the South African lobby leave much to be desired. Of course, we got used to their traps, traps, threats and blackmail. Inmaculada Sanfeliu, chairman of the Citrus Management Committee (CGC)Spanish employers’ association that brings together the main exporters and private businesses.