A diplomatic spat is brewing between Spain and South Africa over citrus imports, with Spanish farmers accusing their South African counterparts of devastating the country’s naartjie industry, writes Fruitnet.
The Valencian farmers’ association Ava-Asaja claims the EU’s trade deal with South Africa has led to a 40% decline in early-season mandarin (naartjie) production since 2016 – when the treaty was signed.
Production of clementines and satsumas in Valencia – Spain’s key citrus region – has dropped from 361 000 tonnes to 211 000 tonnes during that time.
“This is mainly due to the overlap in the initial part of the citrus season with late-season South African mandarins, whose exports to the European market have more than tripled in the last decade, increasing from 53 869 tonnes to 180 140 tonnes,” Ava-Asaja said.
SA accused of having a larger carbon footprint
The association claims that between 2012 and 2017, when the agreement was finalised, South Africa also planted more than 10 million late-season naartjie seedlings.
This equates to roughly 24 000 hectares of naartjie trees with an estimated annual production of 750 000 tonnes.
Ava-Asaja’s president, Cristóbal Aguado, noted with concern “the unstoppable replacement of European citrus with fruit from South Africa.”
“Their production has a larger carbon footprint, lacks reciprocity, and operates under conditions of unfair competition.”
Spain’s farmers approach the EU
Ava-Asaja representatives travelled to Brussels this week to lobby EU officials and Spanish MEPs, urging them to review – or even suspend – the trade deal.
They want the European Commission to assess its economic, social and environmental impact, claiming it has caused widespread farm closures in Valencia.
The association also warned of the “unacceptable phytosanitary risk” posed by South African naartjie exports. They cited recent detections of black spot disease and false codling moth in citrus shipments to Europe.
South Africa does something right
Ava-Asaja said the infested shipments indicate that the cold treatment, which eradicates the pest, did not comply with European regulations.
“South Africa leads the world ranking of interceptions, second only to Argentina, which has recorded 24 detections so far this year,” the farmers’ association added.
