The National Service for Agri-Food Health and Quality (Senasa) announced this Friday (14.08.202) that "it was informed in the last few hours by the health service of the European Union (EU) of the unilateral decision to suspend citrus exports from Argentina for the rest of the current season."
The reasons expressed by the EU "They have to do with the phytosanitary risk related to the Black Spot disease in these fruits", said a release from Senasa.
The official text regretted the decision, "which ignored Argentina's request to apply the concept of regionalization, which would be appropriate."
This concept would imply "excluding sweet citrus fruits from the NEA region from any restrictive measures, since they have not had any interception of the disease," and is "a principle that governs our bilateral food trade relationship."
"We are concerned that this measure has been influenced by claims that go beyond the merely phytosanitary, such as those made by citrus producers who are members of the Coordinator of Farmers and Livestock Organizations (COAG)" of the EU, Senasa added.
The entity requested "the immediate activation of 'additional and effective' measures from the European Commission, since imports in this area were 'sinking prices in the European market'."
"We continue to take steps to ensure that the interception notifications made by the EU, both in lemons and oranges, have the essential scientific endorsements of laboratory tests, despite the repeated requests made by Senasa," the statement said.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, The agency announced that it will begin "an audit of the public-private citrus health certification system, in order to determine whether there have been any possible inconsistencies or deficiencies." in established procedures."
"Although this suspension occurs with the citrus campaign well underway, we will continue working to ensure our exports to the European market by guaranteeing the highest phytosanitary standards that characterize our country," Senasa concluded.
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