By Lauren Diepenbrock and Brett Bultemeier There have been a lot of changes within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so much so that it seems there is an update nearly every day! This is because the EPA had to settle a mega lawsuit dealing with endangered species. In the past, the EPA did not directly address endangered species during registration. The …
EPA Insecticide Strategy Will Impact Specialty Crop Growers
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft insecticide strategy to reduce the impact of conventional agricultural insecticides on endangered and threatened species could significantly impact specialty crop growers, according to the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance (MCFA). Those adverse impacts could be the result of imposing additional restrictions, potentially leading to economic consequences and challenges in pest management, the alliance wrote in …
Many Farms Must File Ownership Information
Many farms and ranches will be required to file beneficial ownership information with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In 2021, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act. It requires businesses to report the identity of their owners with the goal of reducing financial crime. WHO MUST FILE Any producer whose farm …
Texas Mexfly Quarantine Actions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture have taken several Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine actions in Texas since mid-August. DONNA On Aug. 15, the agencies established a Mexfly quarantine in Donna, Hidalgo County. This is in response to the confirmed detection on Aug. 10 of Mexfly larvae in …
California Medfly Quarantine Expanded
Federal and state agriculture officials on Sept. 6 established a Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly) quarantine in Alameda County, California. On Sept. 11, this quarantine was expanded to include a small portion of Santa Clara County. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of …
Citrus Disease Quarantines Expanded in California
U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) officials, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), recently expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB) and sweet orange scab (SOS) in the state. HLB The quarantined area in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties has been expanded by approximately 50 square miles. Additionally, the …
Medfly Quarantine Issued in California
A portion of Alameda County in California has been placed under quarantine for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) following the detection of one wild mated female in Fremont. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Alameda County agricultural commissioner and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) are working collaboratively on the project. The quarantine area in Alameda County measures approximately …
Industry Input Needed for Proposed Rule on Heat Protection
The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced the opening of the public comment period for its proposed rule intended to protect millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat. The proposed rule, Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, was published in the Federal Register. Announced in July by the department’s Occupational …
Sweet Orange Scab Requirements Revised
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) recently revised sweet orange scab (SOS) requirements. APHIS revised the conditions for the interstate movement of citrus nursery stock (CNS) and updated the inspection requirements for CNS to be eligible for shipment. The federal order also updates the APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Elsinoë australis, Causal Agent of Sweet …
EPA Releases Final Herbicide Strategy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Aug. 20 released its Final Herbicide Strategy to protect more than 900 federally endangered and threatened species from the potential impacts of herbicide. EPA will use the strategy to identify measures to reduce the amount of herbicide exposure to these species when it registers new herbicides and when it reevaluates registered herbicides. For …
HLB Product Advancing in Registration Process
Silvec Biologics announced that an RNA vector delivery product to combat HLB has progressed to the Full Science Review Phase of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pesticide Regulation Improvement Act registration process. The product was developed in collaboration with Southern Gardens Citrus (a subsidiary of U. S. Sugar), the University of Florida (UF) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Silvec is …
Mexfly Quarantine Actions Affect Texas Citrus
Federal and state agriculture officials took several actions this month regarding Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) have: BROWNSVILLE Establishment of the Brownsville quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on July 26 of Mexfly larvae in citrus …
Assistance Available for Compliance With Revised Ag Water Rule
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a final rule that revises pre-harvest agricultural water provisions in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. It replaces the previous microbial quality criteria and testing requirements with systems-based, pre-harvest agricultural water assessments. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is committed to providing support for farms that …
Citrus Black Spot Policies for Florida Modified
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) recently modified the policies and requirements for the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. Modifications address the movement of regulated articles and provide a protocol to remove areas from the CBS quarantine. This federal order updates the APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Phyllosticta citricarpa, Causal Agent …
Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Removed
Federal and state officials on Aug. 11 removed the Oriental fruit fly quarantine in California’s Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This action releases the remaining 365 square miles of the quarantine, which contained 1,800 acres of commercial agriculture. Release from quarantine occurred after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection, based on a degree-day model. The U.S. …
Winning the Fruit Fly Fight
Federal and state agriculture officials recently removed several fruit fly quarantines in Texas and California. TEXAS On July 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Sullivan City, Hidalgo County. This action releases 68 square miles from quarantine. There was …
Sooner Protections Put in Place for Pesticide Spray Drift
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting pesticide spray drift protections in place 15 years sooner in the review process for new pesticides than has historically occurred. The protections are for farmworkers, their families and the general public near where pesticides are applied. The earlier protections for spray drift were announced July 15. EPA will now assess the potential …
California Quarantine Updates
Federal and state officials have removed and reduced Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantines in two California counties and expanded the huanglongbing (HLB) quarantine in another county. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY On July 5, the …
Mexican Fruit Fly Quarantine Expanded in Texas
On June 27, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) expanded a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantine in Harlingen, Texas. The expansion of the quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection between May 26 and June 11 of three wild mated Mexflies from traps in …
Tau Fruit Fly Quarantine Lifted in Los Angeles County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has officially declared an end to the Tau fruit fly quarantine in Los Angeles County following the successful eradication of the invasive pest. The quarantine, which was established in the Santa Clarita area of Los Angeles County, was the first-ever quarantine for the Tau fruit fly in the Western Hemisphere. It encompassed …