The Tucuman Citrus Association (ATC) has announced export lemon harvesting will be interrupted in the Argentine province, following serious damages from frosts in recent weeks.

In an announcement, the association said the decision was made to only harvest lemons for industrial use with damage evaluations still taking place.

"Already there have been spots noticed on the skin, soft fruits, oil gland ruptures in the skin, ruptures in the cells containing juice inside the pulp, and so on," the release said.

"This decision minimizes packing activity, much of which is currently on hold until fruit that's eligible for export returns.

"In this regard, we call for extreme quality control for export lemons from Tucuman producers and packers, in a way that ensures fruit provisions meet the conditions required by each country.

"A more rigorous selection allows us to continue showing the high prestige of our production, so that we can instill confidence about our product being reliable despite the severe inclement weather suffered."

Photo: Tucuman Citrus Association

Related story: Argentina: lemon frost damages 'significant', effects reach blueberries

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