The Canary Islands' tropical fruit sector is worried about the progress of the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, as it could negatively affect its key export crop, papaya. The Association of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Producers' Organizations of the Canary Islands (Tropican) warns that the agreement could worsen conditions for an activity that largely depends on foreign markets.
Francisco Echandi, the president of Tropican, warned that the agreement poses a direct threat to the sector's competitiveness. The organization's data show that about 70% of the roughly 20 million kilos of papaya produced in the archipelago are exported to mainland Spain and other European countries, which are crucial markets for the subsector's survival.
The main challenge is in the European market, where Canary Island papayas have to compete with Brazil, one of the world's top exporters. Tropican emphasizes that this disadvantage isn't just about tariffs; it also stems from regulatory differences arising from Europe's strict plant health rules.
Echandi noted that no active substances are approved for pest control on the islands, which directly affects marketing because the inability to treat the fruit leads to cosmetic defects. As a result, up to 35% of the Canary Islands' harvest is classified as "second category," lowering its value.
Meanwhile, Brazilian farmers are allowed to use chemical substances that are not permitted in the EU. Consequently, their papayas reach markets with a more consistent, appealing appearance, which, according to Tropican, pushes production out of the outermost regions in European sales outlets.
Despite outside pressure, the Canary Islands' domestic market still has some protection. Echandi explained that the entry of foreign tropical fruit into the islands is limited by the Ministerial Order of 1987, a phytosanitary regulation designed to prevent the introduction of pests not present in the islands. However, he expressed concern about the political "passivity" and the possibility that future commercial pressures could lead to a relaxation of this regulation.
In addition to the economic threat, producers criticize the lack of updates to the Community Support Program for Agricultural Production in the Canary Islands (POSEI). Echandi noted that the program's financial statement has not been updated in 21 years, despite rising costs for production, transportation, and labor.
Source: atlanticohoy.com
