South African citrus exporters have received a boost in the Indian market after New Delhi amended its plant quarantine rules on Monday, approving additional cold-treatment options for fresh citrus imports from the African state.

The move, which follows almost a decade of negotiations, will give exporters more flexibility and could help improve the quality of fruit reaching the Indian market. Minister of Agriculture Willie Aucamp welcomed the development, saying it was good news for the industry and showed how technology was helping farmers overcome barriers and expand access to international markets.

He said it would help South African farmers push the boundaries and enable other countries to benefit from the country’s high-quality agricultural produce. “This is not only good news, but also indicates how advanced technology enable our farmers to push barriers to have other countries enjoy our high-quality produce,” Aucamp noted.

India is home to about 1.47 billion people and is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies, making it a potentially important market for South African citrus.

CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), Boitshoko Ntshabele, argued the focus should now shift to improving the commercial conditions for South African citrus exports to India. He said tariffs of about 25% to 30% continue to put South African citrus at a disadvantage compared with competitors from the Southern Hemisphere that have preferential trade arrangements with India.

“Special recognition is given to the Department of Agriculture and Citrus Research International for their continued technical engagement with Indian authorities that have made the new treatment options possible. This demonstrates the importance of sustained public-private partnership in improving technical conditions for accessing markets,” Ntshabele said.

“We look forward to working with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on the critical task of addressing these tariff barriers and improving the competitiveness of South African citrus in the Indian market going forward.”

First published by IOL