New markets a boon for Argentina: National citrus association Federcitrus backed the overhaul of phytosanitary standards which has opened up new supply deals for Argentine exporters

摘要

The Argentine citrus trade has progressed significantly during the last decade, reinforcing the nation's position as the world's leading supplier of lemons. Exports of almost all citrus fruits have doubled in volume and Argentina's presence has been clearly etched in a number of key markets. Although the door to the US remains shut for now, in the last year alone exporters have penetrated further into Europe and Asia. In 2007, overall Argentine fruit exports are pegged at 1.5m tonnes, up from 1.38m tonnes last year. Of that total, citrus represented some 608,024 tonnes in 2006, including lemons, oranges, mandarins and grapefruit, according to Marcelo Puiggari, president of the Argentine citrus association Federcitrus, which represents 95 per cent of national citrus exports.