Philadelphia, PA USA – After nearly a decade of efforts between Uruguayan and US agriculture officials, the first shipments of citrus from Uruguay arrived at the port of Philadelphia earlier this week. The product arrival was greeted by a reception of various representatives from Seald Sweet, the agriculture and fresh produce industries along with Holt Logistics and other imports officials.
“This day has been long awaited and we are so excited to see our years of hard work finally come to fruition,” says Mayda Sotomayor, CEO of Seald Sweet. “The quality of citrus from Uruguay is outstanding and the availability of certain commodities nicely complements our existing citrus programs. This new market access is very positive for our organization as well as beneficial to US market interests and the Uruguayan farmers,” she continues.
This ruling allows importers like Seald Sweet to continue to grow the citrus category with year-round availability in the US market and it gives Uruguayan farmers the opportunity for more global access.
The ruling has been long awaited and faced numerous set-backs over the years but continued persistent efforts from various individuals and organizations finally led to the USDA requirement of due diligence being met and approval of market access. Bruce McEvoy, Director of Global Affairs for Seald Sweet and the UNIVEG Group was instrumental in the lobbying efforts with the US embassy and Uruguayan officials.
McEvoy addressed reception attendees, "It's been a very long journey. Lots of patience was needed along the way. Over the years, I can recall meeting with three of the former presidents of Uruguay, with four ministers of agriculture, and with ambassadors on both sides, U.S. and Uruguay."
The effective date for the Rule was August 9, 2013. Although this year’s Uruguayan citrus season is coming to a close, this week’s arrivals affirm all systems and processes are in place to further build programs for next year and beyond.
Source: Seald Sweet
