Spain: Black spot is on the rise in African citrus and the countryside demands solutions

Published 2024년 9월 10일

Tridge summary

In August, the European Union intercepted several citrus shipments from South Africa infested with the black spot fungus, raising phytosanitary concerns. The Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-ASAJA) is calling for the EU to ban South African citrus imports and extend mandatory cold treatment to imports from Zimbabwe, which also had pest issues. Additionally, the organization warns against the EU-Mercosur agreement due to similar concerns with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The article emphasizes the need for stricter measures to protect European agriculture from increasing pest threats in citrus imports from Africa and South America.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The new interceptions of pests and diseases recorded by the European Union in August confirm that South Africa has a serious problem with black spot in citrus (Phyllosticta citricarpa). The South African country accumulated eight more cases of shipments infested with the fungus that causes black spot in its citrus imports destined for the EU in the last month, of which seven were found in lemons and one in mandarins. Added to the twelve detections in June and July, South African citrus fruits have already had twenty interceptions of black spot in their first three months of the export campaign. Fearing that this phytosanitary risk will increase even more, now that shipments are about to reach their peak, the Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-ASAJA) demands that the EU close its borders to South African citrus fruits. The president of the agricultural organisation, Cristóbal Aguado, states that “the European Commission, starting with Ursula Von der Leyen, cannot continue to ...

Source: Campocyl