According to Xinhua News, a senior Zimbabwean government official recently stated that the African country is finalizing matters for fresh citrus exports to China in the wake of a virtual inspection conducted online by China’s General Administration of Customs in August of this year.

John Bhasera, permanent secretary of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development, told Xinhua News that Zimbabwe would submit a post-inspection report to China in the coming days. The report will clarify a series of problems identified during the online inspection regarding traceability, pest control and cold treatment.

Zimbabwe reportedly intends to ship oranges, lemons and grapefruit to China. Blessed by unique natural conditions, Zimbabwean citrus fruits boast low prices and high quality. For the moment, over half of China’s citrus imports each summer originate from South Africa and Australia. Also a Southern Hemisphere country, Zimbabwe should be able to claim a share of this market to fill the off-season supply gap in China.

On July 1, 2022, Zimbabwean citrus products including sweet oranges, bitter oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons and limes officially secured market access to China. According to China’s requirements, all Zimbabwean citrus destined for China must undergo cold treatment. Fresh lemons must be subjected to cold treatment for at least 18 consecutive days at a pulp temperature of 3 degrees Celsius or below. Other citrus fruits must be kept at a pulp temperature of −0.6 degrees Celsius or below for 24 consecutive days or more. A 72-hour pre-cooling procedure at −0.6 degrees Celsius is also required.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese.

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