Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have found the first substance capable of controlling Citrus Greening Disease, which has devastated citrus farms in Florida and also threatens California.
The University of Florida has also been working towards a solution, as reported in March 2020.
Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops in the world, and they are particularly susceptible to postharvest damage before they reach the market for fresh consumption after storage. Green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum is considered to be the main postharvest pathogen of citrus fruit with up to 60–80% decay under suitable environment conditions.
The recent announcement that shipping lines are cancelling calls at the port of Cape Town or implementing a Cape Town congestion surcharge from July, and that large volumes of citrus and other exports are being redirected to Eastern Cape ports, is reverberating at provincial and national government levels in South Africa.
As of July 1, the suspension of Argentinian fresh lemon exports to Europe came into force following several detections of black spot in some shipments upon arrival at European ports.
“In the last two weeks, the number of black spot detections has skyrocketed, so we believe that this has been a correct and necessary measure. As a sector, we have to find where the problem is in order to solve it. We are concerned about what has taken place this campaign, but we are even more concerned about what is to come. That is why I think Argentina should soon review the lemon export protocol for Europe. It is clear that this situation will bring changes and adjustments for future campaigns,” says Francisco Rotella, commercial director of the Argentinian lemon producer and marketer Citrusvil.
Current market trends of higher income group consumers include a desire for information related to the products they buy, such as its origin, safety, and social responsibility of the producer. Organically grown fruits seem to be favoured over conventionally produced fruit. Organic production requirements affect all practices related to fruit production including type of fertilisers used, pest and disease control as well as post-harvest chemicals used.