Officials in an Argentine province are betting that the citrus yield due early next year will be better than last year’s, according to agriculture news website infocampo.com.ar.

“We hope to attain a volume of 25,000 to 30,000 metric tons, because in the last season, there was a considerable loss due to drought,” Héctor Barboza, coordinator of the Misiones provincial citrus program, is quoted as saying.

He said 550 farmers, who together represent 2,500 hectares of certified land, have signed up for a citrus export program. Most of the land is devoted to the okitsu variety, which is the signature variety of Misiones province.

Misiones produces 70% mandarins and a smaller quantity of oranges, lemons and Tahiti limes.

Barboza said that some areas are still affected by a drought in the 2004-05 season, with the murcot variety most affected, the website said. The okitsu has not been affected as much.

One of the most important goals for the citrus sector is meeting the phytosanitary demands of buyers. To do this, it is working with the agriculture department, Senasa.

Photo: www.inta.gov.ar

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com