(Photo by Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org)
Conditions for the movement of fresh citrus fruit from the Redlands Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine area of San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California have been temporarily modified for the duration of the 2024 harvest season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) announced the modification on Feb. 5.
Due to the imminent harvest period, growers in the Redlands quarantine area currently have only two postharvest treatments available (methyl bromide fumigation with a subsequent cold-holding period or irradiation) in order to move fresh citrus fruit from non-core areas of the quarantine to areas outside of the quarantine. However, neither of these options is economically viable for citrus production in the Redlands quarantine at this time.
A federal order provides relief to the growers by establishing a new treatment approach under which fresh citrus fruit from non-core areas may enter domestic commerce outside of the quarantine, using an alternative fumigation and subsequent cold-treatment method. This approach applies only to the Redlands OFF quarantine for the 2024 harvest season. It does not permit international export of fresh citrus fruit from this area unless the citrus meets existing export certification requirements for regulated articles from fruit fly quarantined areas.
USDA APHIS regulates the interstate movement of OFF host articles from all OFF quarantine areas in the United States. The current OFF quarantine areas, the OFF regulated articles/host list, and the federal order are posted on the APHIS fruit fly webpage.
The original OFF quarantine was established on Sept. 27, 2023 and has been expanded several times. Learn more about the quarantine here.
Additional information about the OFF quarantine program may be obtained from USDA APHIS Fruit Fly National Policy Manager Richard Johnson at richard.n.johnson@usda.gov or 301-851-2109.
Source: USDA APHIS
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