G/SPS/GEN/1243  
29 April 2013  
(13-2234)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  PERU: COUNTRY FREE FROM CITRUS BLACK SPOT, SWEET ORANGE SCAB, 
CITRUS CANKER, CITRUS VARIEGATED CHLOROSIS, 
CITRUS LEPROSIS AND HUANGLONGBING 
COMMUNICATION FROM PERU 
The following communication, dated 25 April 2013, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Peru. 
 
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1.  Citrus growing in Peru has expanded considerably since the 1990s: in 2013 Peru became 
the fourth largest citrus producer in the southern hemisphere after Brazil, South Africa and Argentina. In 2012, some 70,000 hectares were producing citrus fruit, in particular key lime, 
mandarins and their hybrids (chiefly Satsuma, Minneola Tangelo and Murcott), as well as Navel 
and Valencia oranges. 
2.  In 1996, Peru's National Agrarian Health Service (SENASA) launched a survey of pests affecting 
citrus crops at the national level in order to confirm the absence of three quarantine 
pests, Guignardia citricarpa  (citrus black spot), Elsinoe australis  (sweet orange scab) 
and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri  (citrus canker). The objective was to gain access to various 
foreign markets by providing technical evidence of the absence of these pests, which are 
the subject of international trade regulations. 
3.  Through the National Phytosanitary Surveill ance System (SINAVIF), SENASA has continued 
the survey of citrus quarantine pests and has su bmitted more than 27,000 samples for laboratory 
diagnosis without detecting any of the three aforem entioned quarantine pests. At the same time, 
the surveillance activities confirmed the absence of citrus variegated chlorosis ( Xylella fastidiosa ) 
and citrus leprosis ( Citrus leprosis Virus-CiLV ). 
4.  Since 2009, there has been a phytosanitary alert a ccompanied by preventive activities aimed at 
ensuring the timely detection of Huanglongbing ( Candidatus Liberibacter spp ) and its vectors 
(Diaphorina citri and Trioza erytreae ), quarantine pests that are not found in Peru. In 2013, 
the Phytosanitary Alert and Emergency Response Unit was set up in order to deal with 
any outbreaks of these pests that might occur. 
5.  Peruvian citrus fruit is exported to a number of countries in America, Europe and Asia 
in compliance with the phytosanitary requirements of the importing countries, and none of these 
quarantine pests have been detected. The main destinations are the United Kingdom, Holland, 
the United States and Canada. 
6.  SENASA's national surveillance activities in th e citrus growing areas help to support domestic 
producers and act as a guarantee of phytosanitary quality for the countries to which Peruvian 
citrus fruit is exported. 
7.  In March 2003, the member countries of the Andean Community issued Resolution No. 703 
recognizing Peru as free from the citrus pests Guignardia citricarpa  (citrus black spot), 
Elsinoe australis  (sweet orange scab) and Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri  (citrus canker). 
In April 2003, Peru circulated a submission (G/SPS/GEN/386) indicating that the country was free from these quarantine pests. G/SPS/GEN/1243 
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  8.  Accordingly, we hereby notify Peru's status as free from the following citrus quarantine pests: 
Guignardia citricarpa  (citrus black spot), Elsinoe australis  (sweet orange scab), 
Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri  (citrus canker), citrus variegated chlorosis ( Xylella fastidiosa ), 
citrus leprosis ( Citrus leprosis Virus-CiLV ) and Huanglongbing ( Candidatus Liberibacter spp ) and 
its vectors ( Diaphorina citri  and Trioza erytreae ). 
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