The National Health and Agricultural Food Quality Service (Senasa) banned the entry of citrus fruits in bulk in the provinces of the Argentine Northwest (NOA) to prevent the spread of the bacterium of the HLB disease to that region.
"The entry of unprocessed fresh citrus fruit in bulk, and of the propagation material of all HLB hosts and / or its vector into the protected area of HLB (Huanglongbing) has been banned," states Senasa provision 1/2018, published yesterday in the Official Gazette.
In practice, this definition implies that the entry of unprocessed citrus fruits and certain seedlings that may be hosts to the disease is now banned in the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Tucuman, and Catamarca.
The prohibition involves all trade in sweet citrus fruits (oranges and mandarins) from the Northwest (NEA), the main producing region of this type of fruit.
"The NOA Region hasn't presented any positive case of HLB so far, and its location is well defined. It is isolated from other citrus producing regions by long distances," states the sanitary norm, which tries to protect its citrus production from contamination, especially the lemon and grapefruit production from Tucuman and Salta.
The Huanglongbing or HLB is a disease caused by a bacteria for which there still is no cure. It entered the country a few years ago through Misiones and several cases have been detected in the citrus productive areas of the NEA.
The HLB also affects several ornamental species, such as myrtle or Arabian jasmine.
As a result of this prohibition on the fruit in bulk that enters the NOA, the orange and mandarin that is sold there must be previously processed and packed in first-use container containers, according to the disposition. This process involves "the elimination of all loose or adhering vegetable remains to the fruit, its disinfection, washing, and brushing."
Source: Telam