New markets are opened so that citrus companies can locate their products in countries such as India, Brazil and United States. In recent weeks, the chambers of the sector have been negotiating in private and diplomatic fields the opening of markets with a significant level of citrus consumption, both in the region and in other parts of the world. In the case of United States, this would mean the return of products such as Tucuman lemons to this market.
One of the destinations presented to the regional agro-industry was India. After the Ambassador of that country in Argentina, Amarendra Khatua, who visited the province a fortnight ago, stated his country was interested in Argentine citrus, the cameras of the sector and State agencies began to negotiate the entry of Argentine citrus to that country, in particular, for the Tucuman lemon.
"This demonstration was actually good news for the sector, as there still is an old problem linked to medical patents with India that had generated serious difficulties in trade between both countries", said Jose Carbonell, President of the Argentina Federation of Citrus (Federcitrus).
To move forward the bilateral approach, a meeting with Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister, Eduardo Zuain, was held this week in Buenos Aires. According to official information, in addition to Carbonell, Lucas Mendez, who works in institutional relations at the San Miguel company; Diego Ruggiero, President of Plant Health Association of the Argentine Northwest (Afinoa), citrus entrepreneur, Pablo Padilla, the Lieutenant Governor of the province, Juan Manzur, and the Minister of productive development, Jorge Feijóo, participated in the meeting.
The meeting was held prior to the official visit of Zuain to India, which has a population of more than 1 billion people. "Even though the consumption of fresh lemon has just started there, the opening of the market leads to great prospects," said Carbonell.
At the meeting, the businessmen also raised the need for opening the Brazilian market for lemon. "The South of that country has begun to consume significant amounts of Sicilian lemon, which is what we produce, to the detriment of the acid lima, which has a high demand in the rest of that territory. Brazil is extremely important for our summer fruit," said the head of Federcitrus. He also spoke about the visit of a group of Turkish companies, the third largest world producer of lemon, to Argentina.
At the same time, according to Senasa, a delegation of the inspection service of Animal and Plant Health of the Department of Agriculture of United States (USDA-Aphis) visited companies in Tucuman and Salta, within the framework of the negotiations for the re-opening of that market for Argentine lemons.
Aphis representatives toured and visited production establishments and they were told, in detail, the operation of the certification program of fresh citrus that is exported to more than 66 countries. According to the sector, they observed field management, disease prevention, management of packing facilities, and use of chemicals in packaging, among other processes.
"The delegation of Aphis stated that they would continue with the process of the publication of the proposed rule that will establish the phytosanitary requirements for the entry of fresh lemon fruit from the Argentine Northwest to the country," said Senasa.
Citrus business representatives also met with the head of the AFIP, Ricardo Echegaray, and his technical team, to asked for "greater agility for the reinstatement of VAT and the refund of export duties."
Source: La Gaceta