APHIS Modifies Conditions for the Interstate Movement of Fresh Citrus Fruit From Core Areas of a Mexican Fruit Fly Quarantine in Texas

Print

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2025-38
September 23, 2025

Subject: APHIS Modifies Conditions for the Interstate Movement of Fresh Citrus Fruit from Core Areas of a Mexican Fruit Fly Quarantine in Texas 

To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials 

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is revising the requirements, previously established in Federal Order DA-2016-05, for the interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit from core areas of a Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens, Mexfly) quarantine in Texas. The attached Federal Order (with the attached protocol) supersedes Federal Order DA-2016-05 with respect to the Mexfly quarantine in Texas. Federal Order DA-2016-05 also includes conditions for movement of tomato fruit from a Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, Medfly) quarantine. 

APHIS is separating the requirements for the interstate movement of tomato fruit from a Medfly quarantine from the requirements for the interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit from the Mexfly quarantine in Texas. APHIS will re-issue the requirements for the interstate movement of tomato fruit from a Medfly quarantine in a separate Federal Order, although the requirements for the tomato fruit included in DA-2016-05 will remain unchanged. Thus, DA-2016-05 will remain in effect related to the Medfly quarantine until APHIS issues the aforementioned new Federal Order. 

Federal Order DA-2016-05 established three options for the systems approach to allow the movement of fresh citrus fruit from a Mexfly quarantine in Texas without the need to use standard post-harvest treatments. Two of the options provided requirements for the movement of fresh citrus fruit from commercial groves that were not under a preventive release program (PRP). A PRP uses the sterile insect technique (SIT) to suppress Mexfly introductions. APHIS now maintains a PRP over all commercial citrus production in Texas and is therefore amending the requirements. 

The protocol in the attached Federal Order with the revised systems approach provides three schedules for the interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit from commercial groves in core areas of a quarantine in Texas that are under PRP prior to APHIS triggering a Mexfly quarantine. In the protocol, APHIS continues to provide an option to growers for the movement of fresh citrus fruit from groves in core areas in Texas of a Mexfly quarantine not under PRP and who don’t conduct post-harvest treatment (Schedule 4 in the attached protocol) prior to the triggering of a Mexfly quarantine. The protocol maintains several levels of safeguarding, including enhanced trapping, bait sprays, and sterile Mexfly release, while also improving clarity of the requirements to facilitate implementation and ensure compliance. The protocol also provides modified detection thresholds to better align with other fruit fly systems approach protocols and clarifies that it only applies to groves within core areas of a Mexfly quarantine in Texas. 

The revised systems approach provides domestic growers additional options for marketing fresh citrus fruit harvested from core areas of a Mexfly quarantine in Texas other than applying a post-harvest treatment. Post-harvest treatments are expensive, sometimes unavailable to growers, and often reduce the shelf life and commercial viability of the fruit. 

The protocol does not change APHIS’ allowance, with regulatory approval, of the unlimited interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit out of groves in a Mexfly quarantine in Texas for a post-harvest treatment included in the APHIS Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) database’s Treatment Manual pursuant to 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 305.2, or for processing for juice. 

APHIS regulates the interstate movement of Mexfly host articles from all Mexfly quarantines in the United States in accordance with 7 CFR 301.32 through 301.32-10 and any applicable provisions of this Federal Order. 

The APHIS Exotic Fruit Flies web page contains a description of all current Federal fruit fly quarantines, regulated articles/host lists, and this Federal Order. 

For additional information, you may contact:

/s/
Matthew A. Rhoads
Acting Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine

Attachment: Federal Order and Protocol (300.15 KB)