The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with state governments and the national citrus production sector, will strengthen phytosanitary actions to control and prevent pests and diseases, with special attention to Huanglongbing (HLB), which is a highly important quarantine pest with the potential to affect high economic thresholds.
Under the coordination of Agriculture, a comprehensive and strategic agronomic plan will be implemented in the national citrus sector, with the participation of the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (Senasica, by tis Spanish acronym), the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricultural and Livestock Research Institute (INIFAP) and the Postgraduate Association (Colpos, by its Spanish acronym), in coordination with citrus-producing state governments and the national committees of Citrus, Mexican Lime and Persian Lime Product Systems, as well as the National Association of Citrus Processors (Anaproci, by its Spanish acronym).
These measures will strengthen Mexico's status as a world leader in the production of organic orange juice, lemons and limes, whose cultivation and processing generate jobs, foreign exchange and real regional territorial development.
In a work meeting, Secretary Víctor Villalobos Arámbula and the president of the Association, Alberto de la Fuente Fuentes, highlighted the importance of safeguarding the productive capacity of the citrus sector and guaranteeing orderly growth, with all the phytosanitary attention it requires, from genetic material and certified nurseries to guarantee supply in national and international markets, particularly because vitamin C and all the properties provided by citrus fruits have been in greater demand since the pandemic and post-pandemic stage.
He pointed out that, with the participation of all the actors in the production and value chain and the sum of federal and state agencies, better results will be achieved in dealing with pests and diseases, especially HLB, which has been a threat to all citrus growing regions in the Americas and the world.
It is important to work with great discipline, adhering to sanitary protocols and in coordination between the three levels of government and in a public-private-social manner, because the threat is latent and serious, and only by closing ranks and working as a team will we be able to strengthen citriculture in the country, said the federal official.
He emphasized that, for this, the Ministry accompanies citrus growers with public goods and services focused on plant health, innovation for plant improvement and scientific development, which are complemented with training in integrated agronomic management of plantations and nurseries, certification of nurseries under Senasica protocols, and production of buds for grafting plants in the experimental fields of INIFAP.
Villalobos Arámbula affirmed that it is time to evaluate where we are and how to advance strategically in the integrated management of citrus pests and diseases, with a strong focus on HLB and parallel to the implementation of better sustainable agricultural practices.
To this end, he added, we are working on a productive and phytosanitary diagnosis of citriculture in the country and on comprehensive and consensual actions that will be shared with the heads of the Executive of the citrus-producing entities, in order to move forward together under the same national work plan on this issue of great importance for our national agri-food sector.
In addition, the inventory of nurseries and plants, production units and production volumes will be updated with the support of the Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP) and the Ministries of Agricultural Development of the states, said the federal official.
The general coordinator of Agriculture, Santiago Arguello Campos, highlighted the progress in the actions carried out so far by INIFAP, Senasica, Colpos and the steering plans of the Product Systems, as well as the financing opportunities through development banks and what has been done with producers and industry for sanitary and productive attention.
We seek to strengthen, unite, disseminate and measure progress with accountability and in unity to achieve the objectives and thus do more with less and with greater opportunity, he said.
Francisco Javier Calderón Elizalde, chief director of the National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Senasica), pointed out that there is a permanent program to deal with HLB and that work is being done on alternatives such as biological control and holistic management, in addition to promoting appropriate agronomic practices.
He stressed the importance of producing healthy plants under existing protocols and promoting the development of science and technology to achieve greater control of this disease, with the participation of researchers and technical specialists.
The president of Anaproci, Alberto de la Fuente Fuentes, pointed out that the national citrus sector is a world leader in the production of organic orange juice, lemons and limes, with exports of 1,368 million dollars, through 60,500 producers in 24 states of the country.
He reported that HLB affects the production of yellow, Persian and Mexican lemons, so it is urgent to increase phytosanitary measures, carry out a national census of citrus trees, promote agronomic management and expand training modules, which is already being applied in the states of Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo and Puebla.
The Mexican Lemon, Persian Lemon and Citrus Product Systems, represented by Bernardo Bravo Manríquez, César Cortés Bello and Antonio Soberón, respectively, pointed out the need to prioritize and strengthen actions that give certainty to farmers, such as updating the register of citrus growers and citrus farms; comprehensive training in crop management with a focus on nutrition and integrated pest and disease management; and adding nurseries that are not yet certified to produce vigorous and healthy plants.
Also, maintain current phytosanitary campaigns and strengthen mobility surveillance and phytosanitary supervision in nurseries, roads, ports, airports and borders; exchange experiences and good agricultural and manufacturing practices both within and outside the country.
As well as supporting the implementation of the citrus innovation agenda developed by INIFAP; facilitating access to responsible credit that considers financing both the establishment and maintenance of citrus plantations so that producers and their agribusinesses have full certainty and thus contribute to the welfare and territorial development of the citrus regions of the country.
The senator for Veracruz and president of the Finance and Public Credit Commission, Ernesto Pérez Astorga, highlighted the importance of advancing in the concession of wells and irrigation technology, given the water stress in the citrus growing areas of that entity and expressed his support from the Legislative Branch to strengthen national citriculture.