According to data provided by the Chamber of Exporters of Citrus NEA, tangerine exports fell by 18% and orange exports by 100%. "We'll keep moving forward despite difficulties," said the head of the Chamber, Mariano Caprarulo. The sector is in search of international credits.
Dr. Mariano Caprarulo, executive director of the Chamber of Exporters of Citrus of Northeast Argentina (CECNEA), said the industry is facing an 18 percent drop in exports of tangerines and a 100 percent drop in exports of oranges when compared with the past year, which also wasn't good, because there had been a huge frost and there was little fruit. "This year we have a little more fruit," he said.
The CECNEA considers that the opening of more competitive markets "in terms of cost - benefit - price, a policy to encourage formal activity and the access to strong international credits," are some of the relevant actions that need to be taken so that the citrus export sector can overcome the crisis it has faced for several years now.
Caprarulo explained in an interview that that the devaluation in early 2014 didn't bring significant benefits to the sector: "When the devaluation arrived, we had finished the activity and when restarted it, between May and June, the devaluation had been absorbed by the increase in costs. Additionally, we had to meet our economical obligations so the producers and citrus exporters in general had to make a strong effort to reach a 30% increase," he said.
Brazil and the United States are closed to Argentinean citrus
"It's very strange that we can't enter Brazil as we are partners of Mercosur. We export citrus to Europe with the same protocol and can't do it regionally. The Brazilian State opposes our citrus and do not know why," lamented Mariano Caprarulo.
The head of the CECNEA stated that "Uruguay, a country that has the same phytosanitary status that we do, is exporting a lot of citrus to Brazil and we should also be doing that."
Caprarulo assured that selling citrus to Brazil "would improve our annual income, not only because they have a good price and demand, but because we would send smaller shipments, by land, and there would be a smaller risk."
The head of CECNEA said he expected the ongoing negotiations to open the Brazilian market. "The President of SENASA, engineer Diana Maria Guillen, told me the minister Casamiquela had a bilateral meeting to try to open Brazil."
Furthermore, Argentina hasn't been able to export citrus into the United States. "The province has been very supportive. We've gone to the U.S. and tried to open the market, but that will still take time because we they have currently finished the technical part for limes and SENASA has asked the U.S. to be open for sweet citrus," said Caprarulo.
Caprarulo considered it was crucial that "the national government and the provinces of the NEA exert pressure to gain entry into the United States, because they have a price that exceeds all expectations and would make the activity profitable again. We should get in, given that Uruguay also entered it and they are exporting the same varieties we have and have the same status as us. "
Source: Elentrerios.com