South African citrus exporters have scored a major breakthrough in India after New Delhi amended its plant quarantine rules, approving additional cold‑treatment options and gazetting “in‑transit cold treatment” requirements for fresh citrus.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed on Wednesday that India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare had amended the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003, with the changes published in a Government Gazette.
The new rules allow citrus consignments from South Africa to undergo cold treatment during transit, a measure long sought by exporters.
Under the new arrangement, South African citrus exporters are now allowed to refrigerate their fruits at an agreed temperature while they are in transit to India to kill fruit flies and meet the specific pest risk conditions.
India previously required land‑based cold treatment or methyl bromide fumigation to mitigate fruit flies such as the Mediterranean and Natal fruit fly.
South Africa began bilateral talks in 2017 to secure approval for in‑transit cold treatment, exchanging technical data and conducting trial shipments to demonstrate compliance.
The process culminated in India changing its regulations and notifying the World Trade Organisation in May 2026 and the subsequent gazetting of the new requirements.
The amendments apply to fresh citrus fruits for consumption, including lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, mandarins and other Rutaceous fruits.
Exporters say the change will provide greater flexibility and improve fruit quality on arrival in India, one of the world’s largest and fastest‑growing economies with a population of 1.47 billion.
Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp welcomed the development, calling it “a great achievement for South African agriculture and a clear testament to how advanced technology empowers our farmers to push boundaries and share our high‑quality produce with the world.”
“Our harvest is counter-seasonal to India’s own production, meaning South Africa is uniquely positioned to complement their local market, meeting the rising demand of health- conscious consumers for premium citrus and cementing a powerful, mutually beneficial trade relationship,” Aucamp said.
Industry representatives said the breakthrough could cement a mutually beneficial trade relationship and expand South Africa’s footprint in the Indian market, which offers significant growth potential for premium citrus exports.
JN/APA