In European ports, tons of citrus are rotting in containers and at risk of being destroyed, as South Africa and the European Union clash in a trade dispute over import rules. South Africa, the world’s second largest exporter of fresh citrus after Spain, filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) last month when the EU introduced new phytosanitary requirements that growers say threaten their survival.
The measures came into force in July when ships carrying hundreds of containers full of South African fruit bound for Europe were already at sea, causing them to be blocked upon arrival, according to the southern association -African Citrus Growers Association (CGA). ). “This is a complete and utter disaster,” CGA chief executive Justin Chadwick told AFP. “There they grow food of exceptional quality, which poses no risk… It’s a real disaster.”
The EU rules aim to tackle the potential spread of the false codling moth, an African pest that has a thing for oranges and grapefruit. The EU requires extreme cold treatment of all oranges destined for European tables and keeping them at two degrees Celsius or below for 25 days, which South African growers say is not necessary as the country already has more specific means to prevent infestation.
WTO complaint
In its complaint to the WTO, South Africa argues that the EU requirements are “not based on science”, that they are “discriminatory” and excessive. And they put additional stress on an already proven industry. “It will add cost. And right now, that’s what no grower in the world can afford,” said Hannes de Waal, who runs the nearly century-old Sundays River Citrus (Southeast) farm.
Hannes de Waal, whose company owns orange, clementine and lemon trees on more than 7,000 hectares, has already seen his income reduced by the rise in transport costs since the pandemic, but also in fertilizers, due to the war in Ukraine. Europe is the largest market for South African citrus, which is worth nearly €2 billion and accounts for 37% of exports, according to the CGA. The sector employs more than 120,000 people in a country where more than one person in three is unemployed.
The new rules, which came at the height of the orange season, took growers by surprise. Some 3.2 million boxes of citrus fruits worth around 35 million euros were left with papers that were invalidated upon arrival. The South African government rushed to issue new documents for shipments that met the new criteria, but hundreds of containers had to be destroyed, according to Justin Chadwick.
60 days to negotiate a solution
“The system we already have involves a cold treatment, but focused on risk, while the EU measure is a general measure that affects all oranges,” explains Justin Chadwick. The dispute is now in the hands of the WTO. The parties have 60 days to negotiate a solution. Failing that, the complainant may request panel arbitration. The EU said it was confident that its measures were “consistent with WTO rules”.
The purpose of the phytosanitary criteria is to protect the EU “from the potential significant impact on agriculture and the environment, should this pest become established” in Europe, according to a spokesman for the European Commission. Justin Chadwick hopes that “common sense” will prevail and a quick solution can be found. “Our sector is under pressure. For us, this is the year of survival.”
Source: BFM TV
