On February, exports of citrus fruits from Morocco to the United States were suspended temporarily, because of the discovery of the Mediterranean fly larvae fruit (scientific name Ceratitis Capitata) in clementines exported. From this moment Representatives of the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fishing, the National Bureau Moroccan for the health safety of food products (ONSSA) and the Plant Protection Service the US Department of Agriculture (APHIS) initiated a series of meetings and information exchanges to reach an agreement that would unblock the export of citrus fruits.

In this perspective, two missions in Morocco by American experts were any carried out to the-spot verification of procedures for prevention and control in orchards and central air-conditioning of citrus. Following these verification activities, and APHIS ONSAA there was signed an agreement in June 2016 which authorized the exports again in the US market since 13th October 2016. During the agricultural season 2013-2014 Moroccan citrus exports to the United States to quantitative reached average of 44,000 tons, that correspond to 9% of total exports of this product.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews