At LETIS, we are pleased to announce an important update related to the reopening of the European Union (EU) market to organic citrus from Argentina. This update allows the use of sodium bicarbonate as a post-harvest treatment for organic citrus exported from Argentina, expanding its applicability beyond lemons.

The General Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission (DG AGRI) has informed the National Service for Health and Agro-Food Quality (SENASA) of the authorization of sodium bicarbonate as a post-harvest treatment for organic citrus destined for export to the EU. This treatment was previously endorsed by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the EU to combat citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri pv. citri), clearing the way for the export of citrus that was previously limited due to the lack of approved post-harvest treatments.

This update is particularly relevant due to the presence of Xanthomonas citri pv. citri. Argentina has declared itself free of Xanthomonas citri pv. aurantifolii, further supporting the use of sodium bicarbonate as a treatment.

Both the reopening of the market and the aforementioned update have a positive impact on the production of organic citrus in Argentina, a country that currently dedicates over 3,000 hectares to this production.

If you need more information or have additional inquiries, you can reach out to us via email at info@letis.org or by phone at +54 341 5282560, ext. 2.

Additionally, you can read the previous article about the reopening of the EU market to organic citrus from Argentina here.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration in promoting organic and sustainable production.