APHIS Revises Citrus Greening and Asian Citrus Psyllid Domestic Quarantine Regulatory Requirements for Certain Leaves for Consumption
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent this bulletin at 01/28/2015 04:31 PM EST
Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
January 26, 2015
Subject: APHIS Revises Citrus Greening and Asian Citrus Psyllid Domestic Quarantine Regulatory Requirements for Certain Leaves for Consumption
To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is revising the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and citrus greening (CG) domestic quarantine regulations for the interstate movement of fresh, mature leaves of certain plants that are intended for consumption from areas quarantined for ACP and CG.
Effective immediately, we are amending the regulations to establish a systems approach under which fresh, mature leaves of kaffir lime, curry, and bael intended for consumption from areas quarantined for CG and ACP may be moved interstate without fumigation or irradiation treatment. An APHIS risk evaluation has determined that the movement of such leaves is unlikely to transmit CG and that a series of mechanical and physical processing methods removes ACP from those leaves. The systems approach will provide an alternative to fumigation with methyl bromide and irradiation treatment while continuing to prevent the dissemination of ACP via the movement of these leaves.
A protocol that describes the requirements of the systems approach is attached and is also at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/citrus-greening.
APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register. For additional information, you may call Citrus Health Response Program National Coordinator Prakash Hebbar at 301-851-2228 or National Policy Manager for Citrus Disease Programs Lynn Evans-Goldner at 301-851-2286.
/s/
Osama El-Lissy
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Attachments: Federal Order and Protocol