USDA Pulls Out Stops To Help Save Citrus

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing an interim rule announcing a plant quarantine in several states and territories in the U.S. to stop the spread of citrus greening, a plant disease that greatly reduces citrus production, destroys the economic value of the fruit and can kill trees. The interim rule replaces all previous federal orders related to citrus greening, expands areas under quarantine, allows additional treatment options and provides exemptions for certain fully processed products, such as curry leaves and kaffir leaves.

The interim rule is placing under quarantine the states of Florida and Georgia, the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, two parishes in Louisiana and two counties in South Carolina due to the presence of citrus greening. It also imposes quarantine restrictions for the Asian citrus psyllid, a carrier of the bacterial pathogen that causes citrus greening, on the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, and on the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The restrictions for the insect also extend to portions of three other states:  three entire counties in South Carolina, three entire counties and portions of three others in California and portions of one county in Arizona.
 
The quarantines are a response to the discovery of the citrus greening disease or the Asian citrus psyllid in those affected areas. Interstate movement of certain plant material and products (except fruit and certain processed products) will be restricted or prohibited from quarantine areas. The rule also establishes labeling requirements for most nursery stock sold commercially within an area quarantined for citrus greening. These actions are necessary on an emergency basis to prevent the spread of the disease and its carrier to noninfested areas of the U.S.
  
This interim rule was published in the June 17 Federal Register and becomes effective upon publication.
  
Consideration will be given to comments we receive on or before Aug. 16. You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal:  Go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2008-0015 to submit or view comments.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send two copies of your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0015, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. APHIS-2008-0015.

Source: USDA-APHIS news release