MARCH 13, 2006

ISSUE 1106

CITRUS HEALTH RESPONSE PLAN DRAFT RELEASED

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service posted for comment Tuesday (March 7) a draft citrus health response plan, which marks the first step toward a new approach for sustaining Florida’s citrus industry in light of citrus canker spread and other disease threats.

Producers, nursery owners and residents are invited to comment on this plan.
The draft plan would establish an area-wide compliance program and identify minimum standards for implementing appropriate survey, diagnostics, and mitigation measures to reduce the proliferation and spread of citrus canker and other diseases of regulatory significance.

In addition to sustaining Florida’s citrus industry, USDA says the goal of the plan is also to safeguard other citrus producing states against the spread of citrus canker and citrus greening, which was recently identified in Florida.

The 2004 and 2005 hurricanes spread citrus canker so extensively that it was determined on Jan. 10, 2006, that eradication was no longer a scientifically feasible option. At that time, the established program was modified to stop the practice of destroying trees within 1,900 feet of an infected tree. Since eradication is no longer possible, tree removal is no longer mandatory, whether or not the tree is infected.

Key components of the draft Citrus Health Response Plan include:
- Biosecurity to minimize the spread of disease transfer through clothing, equipment and vehicles
- Registration of all citrus producers, production units, nurseries, budwood facilities, harvesters and packinghouses
- Inspection of all nursery stock prior to movement so it can be certified as disease free
- Inspection of all citrus within 90 days of harvest
- Continued commercial surveillance by government officials and through self-survey to identify any new infections of citrus canker or other citrus diseases

To view the draft plan, click here.

To provide comments on the plan, please email chrp@aphis.usda.gov.