This year, Peru could export tangerines to Brazil and in 2016 to Japan, said Sergio del Castillo Valderrama, CEO of the Peruvian Citrus Growers Association (ProCitrus).
He noted that Brazil is an interesting market for the Peruvian tangerine and that the country's health authority had already approved the Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) made by Peru so they expected the protocol accessing that market would be signed this year.
"The entry of tangerines to Brazil would be almost immediate, so exports could begin this year, provided the parties are willing to reach an agreement," he said.
He also stated that Japan was the market for which the Peruvian tangerine had the most expectations. "We already performed the studies they requested for the treatment of fruit fly and they were approved. Now we're awaiting the administrative part, where the rules or the protocol for the entry of Tangerine is made, to begin."
In that sense, he said, ProCitrus expected the administrative stage, a regulatory process that takes at least six months, making it almost impossible to export tangerines to Japan this year as the season goes from February to September, to begin this year. However, he said, they expected the protocol would be signed this year so exports to that Asian market could start in 2016.
Source: Agraria.pe