After much back and forth, Mzansi’s citrus are, once again, being shipped to China after being added to this country’s latest list of packhouses and production units.
China and the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development have managed to iron out differences, confirms Justin Chadwick, chief executive of the Citrus Growers’ Association.
In May this year, Chadwick warned that the 2021 list of registered production units and approved food business operators who export to China had not been cleared due to unforeseen delays.
This meant that the Chinese market, at the time, was only open those who were registered and approved by China in 2020 – a huge blow for Mzansi citrus exports.
Chadwick, however, now confirms that a phasing-in period would apply until the end of July 2021 whereby both China’s 2020 and 2021 lists would apply.
According to Chadwick, getting China’s approval for exports was no easy task.
“The Chinese authority required a live virtual inspection of their selected packhouses and production units. This required camera crews and interpreters visiting locations around South Africa,” Chadwick explains.
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