Agribusiness

The level of pesticide residues found in chilli coming from Uganda will cause a import ban by the EU food authorities. A banned chemical called Rocket stays in the chilli after spraying. Banned cheamicals are cheap and flooded the market in Uganda as the farmers buy them based on the price and availability instead of knowing what is best for their crop. The EU food authority has now informed other European ports about chilli from Uganda and as a result they will not be let within their borders.

After this ban it will be very difficult to re-enter th european market. This will have a great impact on the Ugandan fruit export as chilli accounts for 35% of it.
Still the absence of a market regulator for agro-products will cause traders to produce products irrespective of whether they conform to the EU market conditions.

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The Murcia region in spain making the citrus fruit prices increase by declining the citrus fruit production. The agricultural organization ASAJA-Murcia points out that by doing so supply and demand are being balanced and that the forecasts made the Ministry of Agriculture of Region of Murcia are being confirmed: a reduction of up to 22 percent in output was expected over the previous campaign.

The secretary general of ASAJA-Murcia, Alfonso Galvez, also stressed the fact that even the fruits’ high quality is contributing to the great initial results of the current campaign, compared to past seasons. However, “we’re still at the beginning and it is too early to crow, it is better to be prudent though recognizing that the prospects are very good”, he said.

Also the opening of new markets and the increasing exports contributed to this positive beginning, and are driving the sector by “keeping hope alive despite the crisis,” Galvez added.

Forecasts by product
According to Murcia’s Ministry of Agriculture, the orange crop should decrease by 18 percent, with 151,225 tons. While mandarins’ production was expected to amount 51,200 tons, 10 percent less than in last campaign.

The lemon crop was estimated at 284,000 tonnes, representing a decline by 27 percent. While grapefruit should register a similar harvest to last season, with a slight drop by 2 percent for 22,400 tons.

source Greenmed

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