Just a few months after China lifted its 15-month ban on Californian citrus, the Asian country has suspended shipments from the state's largest production region, citing interceptions of brown rot. 

China will not allow any citrus imports from Tulare County - which has more than 100,000 acres of citrus production - that left ports on or after Feb 18, following a detection of the pathogen Phytophthora syringae.

The suspension does not affect fruit sourced from regions outside Tulare County.

California Citrus Mutual (CCM) president Joel Nelsen told www.freshfruitportal.com the development had dashed hopes of reestablishing large trade volumes with what was California's third-largest market until the previous ban was imposed in April 2013.

"Since the market was closed to us this year we were hoping for a robust amount of trade and of course now that won't materialize," Nelsen said.

He added the CCM was unsure what volumes were sent before the closure, what was currently on the water, and what opportunities were now being missed.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) has reportedly asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate and provide feedback on whether protocols were followed with regard to the intercepted loads.

CCM vice president Bob Blakely said while it was a possibility the brown rot detected on the shipment came about due to the grower not following export protocols strictly enough, there were too many factors to be sure what happened.

"That potential is there, but the weather this year has been a major factor in these things, so I couldn't say that it was the grower not following that, there were many factors," he said.

Blakely also said the CCM was currently seeing what it could do to resolve the issue, but as yet there had been no indications of when the suspension might be lifted.

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