After Two decadesthe European Union (EU) has reopened its market a organic citrus coming from Argentina. The measure was taken on the basis of the efforts made by the National Service of Hygiene and Agri-Food Quality (Senasa) for the blockade to allow the use of a product that is applied to fruit for export.
As reported by the agency, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) has informed Senasa that it has accepted its proposal to use as a post-harvest treatment sodium bicarbonate in organic citrus fruits that are shipped to that destination. The product had already been authorized by the Directorate General of Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the EU for disinfection against cancer (Xantomonas citri pv citri).
Now the export of organic citrus fruits is also authorized which until now, in Argentina, did not have post-harvest treatments allowed by the DG AGRI authorities. As reported by Senasa, his proposal is based on his Resolution 374/16 which regulates the certification of the production, processing and marketing of organic products in our country.
The EU authorization to restart the import of organic citrus fruits after twenty years, “is the corollary of the efforts of the national directorates for plant protection (DNPV) and for food safety and quality (DNICA), together to the General Coordination of International Relations of Senasa, in the framework of the current equivalence with that community bloc”, highlighted by Senasa.
The measure will favor producers of Argentinian organic citrus fruits that today occupy more than 3,300 cultivated hectares.
It should be noted that between 2001 and 2003 Senasa certified shipments to the EU of 2,500 tonnes of fresh organic citrus fruit, mainly oranges and lemons.
Source: Clarin
