The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture has announced the authorization of fresh lemons from Chile to be shipped to the U.S. market under a “Systems Approach” method. This will allow lemons that meet specific requirements to enter the U.S. without fumigation.
This is great step forward for the Chilean lemon industry. States Juan Enrique Ortúzar, president of the Chilean Citrus Committee, “With Systems Approach, the cold chain will remain intact, so our lemons will arrive to the U.S. in the best possible condition. This is significant for both exporters and their customers, who will now be able to rely more than ever on the consistently high quality of Chilean lemons. We are appreciative of all the hard work undertaken by the authorities and the industry to make this a reality.”
Systems Approach will allow for the safe importation of lemons from Chile using mitigation measures other than fumigation with methyl bromide. Under Systems Approach, lemons will have to be grown in a production area that is registered with the Chilean Government and certified as having a low prevalence of Brevipalpus chilensis. The fruit will undergo pre-harvest sampling at the registered production site under the direction of Chile’s national plant protection organization. Following post-harvest processing, the fruit will then be inspected in Chile at an APHIS-approved inspection site. Each consignment of fruit will be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the fruit was found free of Brevipalpus chilensis based on field and packing house inspections.
Mr. Ortúzar comments, “The timing of this confirmation is perfect, as we will start shipping lemons to the U.S. in May.” The Final Standard will be published April 6, 2018, and it will be effective in 30 days of its publication, starting on May 7, 2018. The majority of Chilean lemons shipped to the U.S. this season will be under Systems Approach.
In 2017, Chile exported nearly 78,000 tons of lemons, with 55% of the volume shipped to North America (53,000 tons). Chile is the leading Southern Hemisphere supplier of citrus (lemons, navels, clementines, mandarins) to North America.