Last week, some alarms were raised after the alleged detection of a batch of South African citrus bound to Europe infected with Citrus Black Spot (CBS); a warning that was confirmed last Sunday, but was not reported until Monday morning, when Dutch authorities intercepted a shipment of lemons with clear symptoms of CBS.
It is, therefore, the first detection since the safety and prevention measures against this disease were recently strengthened.
For now, South Africa's agricultural authorities have not addressed the issue, although the Citrus Growers Association lamented this detection "taking into account the efforts and measures taken to ensure compliance with the regulations."
However, the director of the Interprofessional Association of Lemon and Grapefruit (AILIMPO), José Antonio García, has stressed that "this first detection proves that the Black Spot threat is real and that for now the control and inspection systems do not work as they should in the African country."
If we look at previous cases over the past two years, it can be observed that they always start in late July, coinciding with the start of the South African season.
"South Africa's campaign has only just started, so obviously we have to wait and see how the issue evolves," he continues
The opinion of Spain's citrus sector has been made very clear in recent months, demanding strong control measures, although the European Commission finally chose "some intermediate measures."
The sector representatives state that "we are confident that if 5 detections of Citrus Black Spot in South African citrus are made, the EC shall take prompt, strict and clear action to address the problem, as established by its own regulations," concludes the director of AILIMPO.