South Africa's citrus industry is preparing for a massive commercial boom following the signing of a historic trade deal with China. Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says new phytosanitary protocols will pave the way for breaking records export season For Asian superpower.

The updated agreement significantly eases “cold treatment” requirements that previously hindered local exports.

Previously, South African citrus had to be stored at near-zero temperatures for long periods of time to reduce the risk of pests – a process that often damaged the quality of the fruit and increased costs.

These risks will be reduced under the new rules.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Pretoria, Minister Steenhuisen said these revised standards allow South African products to enter Chinese markets fresh and more competitively.

“I'm very excited. It's going to streamline and reduce a lot of the export frictions that we have with exporting to a country like China. As the science advances, so do the protocols that need to advance. The more restrictions and difficult provisions we can remove, the easier it will be for our local producers to export to the Chinese market. It's also important because from May 1, we're going to get zero-tariff access to the Chinese market. It's a game changer for agriculture. There is going to be a change, especially in the agricultural sector in South Africa, where given our counter-cyclical and counter-seasonal advantages, there is huge demand for South African agricultural products,” explains Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen.

China says that South Africa is its biggest importer, signing on to these requirements would greatly benefit both countries in cold storage, energy and shipment costs.

“The document will strengthen phytosanitary protection, significantly shorten the cold treatment period, and reduce the temperature requirement for citrus exports to China. I believe this reform will further reduce cold chain energy consumption and sea shipment costs, and make South African citrus more competitive in the Chinese market. Citrus fruits are indeed one of South Africa's very competitive agricultural products,” said China's Ambassador, Wu Peng. Say.

Citrus producer South Africa says complementary plant health requirements will increase the industry's exports to China.

“It's very simple. When you get a protocol that is as loose as this, it greatly simplifies the flow of fruit and the logistics around it, and it can also significantly reduce costs. Citrus fruit does not like harsh treatment, and many of these protocols are really harsh and very difficult to comply with. So it's a fair relaxation of those protocols, and in our opinion, that should increase the number of partners we can export to China. So that's very important.” is,” says the Citrus Growers Association. Hans de Waal, Vice President of South Africa.

Related Videos | Citrus sector celebrates bumper export season:

Categorized in:

Top News

Tagged in:

, , , , , , , ,