Argentine lemons moved a step closer to regaining entry to the US market following news that the country’s food health authority Senasa was making good progress in its negotiations with its US counterpart Aphis to secure access for shipments from Tucumán, the world’s biggest growing region.
Senasa and Aphis are in the process of evaluating the latest research which shows that lemons produced in north western Argentina do not host citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and that the disease cannot be spread via the seeds of any citrus variety.
Senasa said this would not only advance negotiations on the approval of lemon imports into the US, but also have positive repercussions on talks to gain access for sweet citrus varieties grown in Argentina.
Argentina’s lemons have been locked out of the US market since 2001 due to US concerns over two plant diseases, citrus variegated chlorosis and citrus greening, which the nation claims could damage domestic lemon production. The South American nation has always maintained that its products are of high quality and accepted by many markets around the world, and that the ban amounts to a protectionist trade barrier.
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