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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Regulation”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on March 9 announced a change to the Florida citrus marketing order that exempts pummelos from all marketing order requirements. The change was made at the recommendation of the Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC), which administers the order. The committee, comprised primarily of growers and handlers of fresh citrus, made the recommendation …
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Feb. 22 reduced processed orange maturity standards for the remainder of this season due to the negative effects of 2022’s Hurricane Ian. The emergency rule, proposed by the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), requires that all processed oranges have a Brix value of no less than 7.0. The rule also stipulates that there shall …
The citrus disease HLB has been confirmed for the first time in the city of San Diego, California, making it the second city in San Diego County with a positive detection. (Read about the first San Diego County detection here.) The new detection was made in a residential citrus tree located in the Rancho Bernardo area of the city. The …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a referendum April 3–May 1 on proposed amendments to the federal marketing order regulating the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and pummelos grown in Florida. Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 18, 2023. The proposed amendments would include reducing the size and quorum requirements of the …
Editor’s note: The comment period has been extended to give stakeholders additional time to submit comments. The draft pest risk assessment will be available for review and comment until March 14, 2023. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has drafted a pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh oranges and tangerines from Egypt into …
By Clara Diekman, Micah Gallagher, Taylor O’Bannon and Michelle Danyluk Compliance dates for all water associated with the Produce Safety Rule (PSR, Subpart E) has previously been delayed, pending completion of the rule. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in the fall of 2022 that postharvest water requirements in the PSR will be enforced on large farms beginning …
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board on Dec. 15 voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations. These regulations will take effect once they are approved by the Office of Administrative Law in January 2023. They will remain in effect for two years after the effective date, except for the recordkeeping subsections, which will remain in effect for three years. …
California’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) has developed a guide, Response for a Confirmed Huanglongbing Positive Detection in a Commercial Grove, to prepare growers for a finding of the disease. The guide is intended to educate growers about the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) huanglongbing action plan. The devastating citrus disease spread by the Asian citrus …
Federal and state agriculture officials on Nov. 14 removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. The quarantine was removed after three generations elapsed with no additional detections in the area. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). …
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) recently issued an emergency rule allowing growers enrolled in best management practices (BMP) programs to apply replacement fertilizer to reestablish crops impacted by Hurricane Ian. Under the rule, producers can make those applications without fear of being out of compliance with their respective BMP manuals. The emergency rule will be in …
Need the latest nutrient recommendations for growing citrus in Florida? Find updates for nutrient best management practices in the December issue of Citrus Industry magazine. The article, by Kelly Morgan, Davie Kadyampakeni and Tripti Vashisth, details recently approved recommendations for secondary macronutrients and micronutrients. The new advice is based on University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …
The 2022 H-2A program final rule was published Oct. 12 and became effective Nov. 14. The vast majority of Florida citrus is harvested by temporary foreign workers within the H-2A program, so the rule has many implications for the state’s citrus industry. Jamie Fussell, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association director of labor relations, discussed the final rule during the Nov. …
Federal and state agriculture officials on Sept. 21 removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Hargill, Willacy County, Texas, after three generations elapsed with no additional detections in this area. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). This action releases the final …
The California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) has established an assessment rate for California citrus producers of 3.2 cents per 40-pound standard field box for the 2022–23 marketing season. The marketing season runs from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023. The assessment applies to all types and varieties of citrus, as defined by the California Citrus Research Program, …
The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is reminding California orange packinghouses that the first preharvest field application of zinc-copper-lime — or a registered alternative — is required for all orange blocks eligible to ship to Korea this season. These fungicide applications are protective treatments for management of Septoria spot. The treatment should be applied between Oct. 15 and Nov. 30. Zinc-copper-lime or …
One Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Texas was recently removed, and portions of another Mexfly quarantine were released. Federal and state officials on Oct. 13 removed the Mexfly quarantine in Harlingen, Cameron County, after three generations elapsed with no additional detections in the area. This action releases the final 108.17 square miles of the Harlingen quarantine, which contained 699.3 …
Federal and state agriculture officials removed the Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine in the North Hills area of Los Angeles County, California. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). On July 1, APHIS and CDFA established an OFF quarantine in …
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to amend H-2A temporary labor certification regulations to better protect agricultural workers and to update the application and certification process. The final rule becomes effective Nov. 14, 2022. The H-2A program allows employers to address temporary labor needs by employing foreign agricultural workers when there are not sufficient workers who are …
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification has provided Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) with general guidance regarding additional flexibilities for H-2A employers impacted by Hurricane Ian. Most Florida citrus is harvested by temporary H-2A workers. Following is a summary of the DOL answers to four questions about H-2A employer flexibilities due to the hurricane’s …
State and federal officials are collaborating in the development of a regulatory response to a new citrus disease in California. Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) was identified in the city of Tulare in March. The discovery is the first instance of the disease in the United States. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Department …
