Effective immediately, the U.S. Departmet of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is revising the conditions for the interstate movement of citrus nursery stock (CNS) and updating the inspection requirements for CNS to be eligible for shipment. This Federal Order also updates the “APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Elsinoë australis, Causal Agent of Sweet Orange Scab (SOS)” for the movement of regulated fruit which is maintained on the APHIS sweet orange scab webpage. 

Specifically, this Federal Order establishes the requirements that allow CNS grown and maintained outdoors or not grown and maintained in an APHIS-approved structure in SOS-quarantined areas to be moved through commercial citrus-producing areas not quarantined for SOS under a limited permit. Additionally, these conditions allow movement to non-contiguous SOS-quarantined areas under a limited permit.

Previously, APHIS allowed CNS grown and maintained outdoors or not grown and maintained in an APHIS-approved structure in SOS-quarantined areas to be moved only to non-commercial citrus-producing areas with a limited permit and did not allow the movement of CNS to non-contiguous quarantine areas. To be eligible for such movement, the nursery must enter into a compliance agreement with APHIS that specifies the conditions for movement, including that material must be safeguarded during transit. This amendment expands market access for citrus nursery growers while sufficiently mitigating the risk of disseminating SOS to areas outside the quarantined area through the movement of CNS.

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This Federal Order also modifies the requirements to ship CNS from an APHIS-approved structure in an SOS-quarantined area under a certificate to align with the CNS protocol found on the APHIS citrus diseases webpage, which provides standards and requirements for the interstate movement of CNS from areas quarantined for citrus pests and pathogens. APHIS is updating the inspection requirements for CNS to be eligible for shipment. Specifically, this Federal Order removes the requirement for a pre-shipment inspection, establishes the requirement for three consecutive monthly negative inspection cycles within a 90-day period, and clarifies the language related to monthly inspection cycles.

Additionally, to consolidate requirements for the movement of all regulated articles from SOS quarantine areas, this Federal Order adds a section that references the requirements for the movement of rutaceous leaves for consumption. The “Protocol for the Interstate Movement of Fresh, Mature Rutaceous Leaves for Consumption” can be found on the APHIS citrus diseases webpage.

Furthermore, this Federal Order adds necessary language informing stakeholders that descriptions of all areas quarantined for SOS will be published on the APHIS sweet orange scab webpage. After such a change is made, APHIS will notify State, Territory, and Tribal Plant Regulatory Officials about the change and describe the changes.

Finally, APHIS is updating the APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for SOS for the movement of regulated fruit. After a review of the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite treatments, APHIS is modifying the required pH range for the sodium hypochlorite solution to 5.5 to 7.0 (previously 6.0 to 7.5) to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment. This change aligns with the requirements listed in the APHIS Domestic Treatment Manual for citrus canker. If any further changes are made to the packinghouse procedures, the Administrator will notify State, Territory, and Tribal regulatory authorities that a change has occurred and describe the changes to the document.