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Australian citrus growers see opporunity from Brazil ban

Laurissa Smith

Story Added : 13th January 2012
Updated: 1 minute ago

Citrus growers in Australia's largest citrus producing region could see a lift in exports to the US if it bans oranges from Brazil.

Coca Cola recently alerted the US Food and Drug Administration it found low levels of a fungicide in Brazilian orange juice concentrate.

The US has temporarily halted all imported juice as it tests for traces of the chemical.

The NSW Riverina grows nearly 30 per cent of Australia's citrus fruit, producing about 180,000 tonnes annually.

Bart Brighenti, president of the Griffith and District Citrus Growers Association, says producers are well placed to benefit if the US suspends trade with Brazil.

"Given the timing that we're coming into a valencia crop so it would only be southern hemisphere," he says.

"Realistically there's not much fruit grown on a world scale in many places, it should be a hard hole to fill and hopefully Australia should be there to fill it."

Story Added by ABC.
Date Added : 13th January 2012

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