'EU's false codling moth phytosanitary rules threaten citrus sector'

The South African citrus export industry is under immense financial pressure following the EU’s implementation of stringent new phytosanitary regulations.

- Glenneis Kriel

The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has called for the establishment of a World Trade Organization panel to adjudicate on the EU’s new false codling moth (FCM) regime governing the importation of South African oranges.

This comes after senior EU and South African government officials failed to reach any “mutually agreed concessions on the new regulations”, according to a statement by the CGA.

Justin Chadwick, CEO of the CGA, said in the statement that the CGA had written to Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel to urgently call for the establishment of the panel before the new orange season started in May.