In dialogue with the Agency, Mover said the situation with the amount of rain "is a bit complicated by the abundance of pests" because "on the coast of Uruguay there was a major flood from Lake Salto Grande, which surrounds the entire citrus in the area, and caused flooding as plantations were under water for some time which has not been good for the plants."

He continues by saying, "Today it is a little better because the water is a bit lower, but the amount of moisture caused by persistent rains have periodically made it difficult to conduct pest control to achieve the quality that today the market, both internal and external, is demanding."

He explained that the most persistent pests are "the canker, the fly, and many other fungi harming the external quality of fruit and plant," and he goes on to reflect, "If drought was a problem before, we went to the other extreme, the excess rainfall that produces these problems is demanding extra expenses."

For this, he said that "particularly this season goods destined for export will be complicated because they have the most requirements, given that the domestic market can handle a little more and market it, however it cannot take on just anything because their demands are very similar to the external market. In any event, he admitted that "what is happening is creating enough export problems and disadvantages because all these fungi and pests are questioned in foreign trade."

He admitted that "this situation can lead to a smaller amount of fruit exported because it must be very careful due to the quality demanded by the European market, and we cannot risk losing markets by sending fruit that is not in good condition."

In this context, he said "much of the fruit is already registered for export and have this problem so there will be fewer lots and a significant decrease in exports, especially in early varieties, because the beginning of this year's harvest is starting in the coming days."

SOURCE: FRESHPLAZA