Argentina has exported a shipment of lemons to Japan after surpassing the cold treatment in transit controls that the Asian country demands to access its market, according to official sources.
According to a statement released by the Argentine Foreign Ministry, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry verified the citrus production stages in the north of the South American country, especially the product’s cold treatment in transit stage.
Argentina, one of the most important producers and exporters of lemons in the world, resumed lemon exports to Japan in August, thanks to the joint work between the National Food Health and Quality Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Argentine Embassy in Japan.
"We continue to work with the Ministry of Agribusiness to open markets for Argentine products," said the Secretary of International Economic Relations of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, Horacio Reyser.
The export of Argentine lemons to Japan was formally opened in 2003, but the authorized protocols on cold treatment were inconvenient for Argentine producers, which hampered sales.
Last year, Argentina exported its lemons to 52 countries for a total of 249 million dollars. In 2018, exports to the different market destinations, such as Spain, Russia, Italy, and the Netherlands, have already surpassed 211 million dollars.
Source: EFE