Jin Jin pomelo

Uncertainty hangs over the Chinese pomelo deal into Europe this season since the European parliament (EC) ordered tougher import controls on the fruit.

Some 20 per cent of all fresh Chinese pomelo consignments arriving into European Union countries from October 1 will be subjected to pesticide residue tests before being cleared by customs, causing concern among importers that supplies could be disrupted.

The EC put fresh Chinese pomelo on a produce ‘blacklist’ after finding pesticide residues exceeding maximum permitted levels in fruit imported last year.

“No one knows what is going to happen this season,” Rick van Gulik of Chinese-produce importer Ping Fruit told Fruitnet.com. “We have to wait and see what residues are like when fruit arrives. If levels are too high, supplies coming in will fall.”

Port-of-entry residue testing could lead to supply delays of several days, said Ralph van der Caaij of importer Jin-Jin. And fruit refused entry into the European Union will most likely be diverted to Eastern European markets.

Jin-Jin expects its first Chinese Honey pomelos to arrive from Pinghe County, Fujian province, on October 17. Last year Jin-Jin imported 3,500 tonnes from China, where it works closely with a pesticide-residue-testing laboratory that operates a branch office in Pinghe for pomelos.

Ping Fruit, meanwhile, expects its first Chinese Honey pomelo arrivals in Europe from mid-September.

Pomelo production in China is said to be up 30 per cent on last year, with shippers reporting regular quality, according to van Gulik. But volumes loaded for Europe could be lower than last season if exporters are put off by the EU’s tighter controls.

“I am concerned about the supply situation and we are taking extra precautions to avoid pesticide problems: we implement a tracking-and-tracing system for all fruit, and all our Chinese pomelo suppliers have a ‘passport’ that controls all their pesticide use,” said van Gulik. “We’ve been importing pomelos from China for six years and this `blacklisting` has never happened before.”

This potential supply setback comes at a time when pomelos are becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Most European supermarkets have started to carry the fruit, making it accessible to mainstream consumers.