Argentina citrus semi annual 2008

All give and no take - that's Argentina's citrus trade outlook for 2008. Here is the link to the semi-annual report on Argentina citrus from the USDA FAS. No mention of the status of the quest by Argentina lemon exporters who are seeking access to the U.S. market. From the report summary:

Citrus production for calendar year (CY) 2008 will decrease nearly 21 percent to 2.47 million metric tons (MT) due to a frost in July 2007. High international prices are favoring exports over domestic consumption and processing, so exports are expected to fall only slightly. Imports continue to remain low as in previous years, with only seasonal purchases of grapefruit.


On trade....

CY 2008 citrus exports are forecast to decrease slightly relative to CY 2007 in all categories due to lower production. Despite the lower production, the packing houses will do their best to take advantage of the high international prices at expense of the processing sector and domestic consumption. Due to quality constraints, more fruit will be sent to the Russian Federation and other markets that accept a third quality standard.


TK: Another USDA FAS report on the Canadian agricultural situation covers possible changes to that country's origin labeling law, in addition to notes about ongoing WTO talks.