APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Valley Center, San Diego County, California

FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION
DA-2023-08
July 12, 2023 

Subject:  APHIS Removes the Mexican Fruit Fly (Anastrepha ludens) Quarantine in Valley Center, San Diego County, California

To: State, Territory, and Tribal Agricultural Regulatory Officials 

On July 1, 2023, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Valley Center, San Diego County, California, after three generations elapsed with no additional detections in this area. This action releases the 77 square miles of the Valley Center quarantine, which contained 4,320 acres of commercial agriculture. 

On August 19, 2022, APHIS and CDFA established a Mexfly quarantine in Valley Center, San Diego County, following the confirmed detection of five adult Mexflies within a three-mile radius in the Valley Center area, between August 2 and August 15, 2022. APHIS restricted interstate movement of regulated articles from this area to prevent the spread of Mexfly to non-infested areas of the United States. APHIS has worked cooperatively with CDFA to eradicate this transient Mexfly population through various control actions per program protocols. 

A description of all current Federal fruit fly quarantine areas is found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/ff-quarantine. 

For additional information on the Mexfly quarantine area, please contact the Fruit Fly National Policy Manager, Richard Johnson, at 301-789-8824 or richard.n.johnson@usda.gov. 

/s/

Dr. Mark L Davidson
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine