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Citrus Canker |
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Citrus canker is a bacterial disease that causes lesions on the leaves, stems, and fruit of citrus trees. While not harmful to humans, the disease affects the health and marketability of infected fruit. It is spread by wind and rain. Despite a 10-year monumental effort to eradicate the disease from Florida, an unprecedented series of storms in 2004 and 2005 spread the disease to the point where eradication was no longer possible.
On Jan. 10, 2006, the Secretary of Agriculture determined that eradication of citrus canker from Florida was no longer feasible and APHIS started working with State partners and industry to develop a new science-based approach for managing citrus canker. In September 2006, APHIS released the Citrus Health Response Plan, which establishes accepted standards to propagate, produce, harvest, process and ship Florida citrus fruit.
In August of 2006, APHIS published an Interim Rule that quarantined the entire State of Florida for citrus canker which allowed movement of citrus fruit from Florida to non-citrus producing states provided it originated in a grove inspected and found free of citrus canker. In November of 2007, APHIS published a final rule that eliminated the requirement that fruit originate in a grove inspected and found free of canker, but established a requirement that the fruit be inspected and found free of citrus canker in the packinghouse by an APHIS inspector. After recent publication of scientific studies that concluded that commercially packed fruit treated with a disinfectant is highly unlikely to serve as a pathway for the spread of citrus canker, APHIS published a final rule in October 2009 that eliminated the requirement that citrus fruit be free from citrus canker and inspected by APHIS, and once again permitted shipment of commercially packed and disinfected citrus to all US states and territories. Under the current citrus canker quarantine, the interstate movement of citrus plants and plant parts other than fruit remains prohibited.
Regulations
- Publication of Final Rule on Movement of Fresh Fruit from Areas Quarantined for Citrus Canker
- SPRO Letter (10/22/09) (PDF; 13 Kb)
- Final Rule (PDF; 108 Kb)
- Revision and extension of approval of an information collection; comment request (PDF; 53 Kb)
Management
- CHRP Regulated Facilities - a listing of Florida citrus packing houses currently with a compliance agreement to certify fruit for interstate movement (PDF; 78 Kb)
Other Citrus Diseases
Contact:
Lynn Evans-Goldner
Program Manager
Telephone: 301.734.7228
Email: Lynn.E.Goldner@aphis.udsa.gov
Last Modified: June 29, 2010
