Press Release (APHIS)

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) are establishing four new quarantined areas for citrus canker in Hidalgo County, Texas, and expanding one existing quarantined area for citrus canker in Cameron County, Texas, to prevent the spread of the disease.

This action is necessary because APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in citrus trees from residential areas in the Hidalgo, McAllen, Pharr, and San Juan areas of Hidalgo County leading to new quarantined areas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV).

In addition, further detections of confirmed positive citrus canker in residential areas have expanded the quarantined area in the Rancho Viejo area of Cameron County in the LRGV. TDA has established intrastate quarantined areas for citrus canker that parallel the federal citrus canker regulatory requirements specified in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 301.75 et seq.

Under the current citrus canker quarantine regulations, the interstate movement of citrus plants and plant parts, other than commercially packed and disinfected citrus fruit, remains prohibited. Citrus nursery stock that is moved following regulations contained in 7 CFR § 301.75-6 may move from areas quarantined for citrus canker.

The establishment of these quarantined areas is reflected on the APHIS citrus canker webpage, which also contains a description of all the current federal citrus canker quarantined areas. APHIS will publish a notice of this change in the Federal Register.

Related article: APHIS Updates the Quarantined Areas for Sweet Orange Scab in California