Establishes Citrus Greening (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) Regulated Area in Texas and Updates Conditions for the Movement of Regulated Articles

FOR INFORMATION

                                                                                                            DA-2012-30

August 9, 2012

 

SUBJECT:  APHIS Establishes Citrus Greening (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) Regulated Area in Texas and Updates Conditions for the Movement of Regulated Articles

 

TO:  STATE AND TERRITORY AGRICULTURAL REGULATORY OFFICIALS

 

Effective September 1, 2012, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will establish a regulated area for citrus greening in a 5-mile radius area of Hidalgo County, Texas.  The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) will parallel this action by publishing an equivalent intrastate quarantine. 

 

On January 13, 2012, APHIS confirmed the presence of citrus greening, also referred to as Huanglongbing, in a commercial citrus grove in the San Juan area of Hidalgo County, Texas.  In response to this detection, APHIS, TDA, and the Texas citrus industry are working together to conduct survey, control, and regulatory activities within the 5-mile radius around the detection site.  Additionally, TDA enacted a temporary emergency quarantine to prevent the artificial spread of citrus greening from this area.  Since 2009, APHIS has regulated the entire state for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the insect vector responsible for transmitting citrus greening. 

 

Also effective September 1, APHIS will allow, under certain conditions, the intrastate movement of attached or detached leaves, stems, branches, and debris from regulated citrus greening and ACP host plants that are associated with fruit harvested from a citrus greening regulated area to a processing plant, packinghouse, or disposal facility that is located outside of the regulated area.  To be eligible for movement, the state must have an established state-led monitoring program, which includes periodic on-site inspections and monitoring.  In addition, the movement must occur under specified conditions outlined in compliance agreements.

   

APHIS is taking these actions to prevent the spread of citrus greening into noninfested areas of the United States.  The attached Federal Order outlines the requirements for the interstate movement of citrus greening-regulated articles from Texas and the amendments to the current conditions for movement that are applicable to all states with less than full state quarantines for citrus greening.  APHIS will post a description of the citrus greening regulated area in Texas at:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus_greening/index.shtml

 

For additional information regarding this program, please contact Dr. Prakash Hebbar, Citrus Health Response Program Coordinator, at Area Code (301) 851-2228.

 

    /s/  Rebecca A. Bech

 

Rebecca A. Bech

Deputy Administrator

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Attachment: Federal Order

• DA-2012-30.pdf