Brazil suspends orange exports to the EU

According to representatives from the Valencian Growers Association (AVA-ASAJA) in a meeting of the Citrus Experts Committee on Tuesday, Brazil has formally announced its decision to unilaterally suspend its orange exports to the European Union (EU) due to the excessive number of pests detected in its shipments.

Brazil's decision comes after official complaints by the EU due to the extremely high level of pests and illnesses detected in the citrus shipments when passing through European port border controls; pests with devastating effects, such as "Black Spot", which do not affect European crops and therefore constitute a high-level risk.

The notorious lack of rigor in pest control from countries such as Brazil, South Africa and Bangladesh has been repeatedly denounced by AVA-ASAJA. This organisation alerted in July that the detection of pests had multiplied by ten between 2010 and 2012 in Brazilian citrus and by three in South Africa's case, and sent a request to the European Commission to suspend all imports from those countries until they could ensure good health conditions for their shipments. AVA-ASAJA's president, Cristóbal Aguado and ASAJA Málaga's technical officer, Benjamín Faulí, sent these complaints to the European Parliament (EP) and other European institutions.

The constant pressure from AVA-ASAJA led to the European Commission sending letters this summer to Brazil and South Africa warning them about "measures to be taken" if more than five cases of "Black Spot" were detected in their citrus shipments to Europe. Brazil surpassed this figure in October, and under the EU's threat, took the aforementioned decision to suspend all orange exports to the European continent. Meanwhile, the Commission gave South Africa and ultimatum, which remains unanswered, starting this month of November.

AVA-ASAJA's president points out that "Brazil's decision is an explicit recognition of the serious problem they have with plant health, just like South Africa. The European Commission was forced to take action against an unacceptable situation."

Aguado also said that "the EU's phytosanitary authorities should open a negotiation process with Brazil, South Africa and other countries, like Bangladesh, where pest detection grows at an alarming rate, to establish stricter export protocols, like the ones the United States enforces on our own exports. Much is at stake, and of course, we will follow any steps taken by the European Commission very closely."

Source: Ava-Asaja