FOR INFORMATION AND ACTIONDA-2020-136/30/2020To: State and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials
Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is expanding the area quarantined for citrus canker in Texas to add portions of Cameron County near San Benito and Brownsville to prevent the spread of the disease.On Oct. 1, 2019, APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in two residential trees in San Benito, Texas. On Nov. 27, 2019, APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in one residential citrus tree in Brownsville, Texas. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) completed delimiting surveys around the locations and found additional citrus trees positive for citrus canker in the Brownsville area. TDA established an intrastate quarantine area for citrus canker that parallels the federal citrus canker regulatory requirements specified in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 301.75.Under the current citrus canker quarantine regulations, the interstate movement of citrus plants and plant parts, other than commercially packed and disinfected citrus fruit, remains prohibited. Citrus nursery stock that is moved in accordance with regulations contained in 7 CFR 301.75-6 may move from areas quarantined for citrus canker. The establishment of this quarantine area is reflected on the following designated website, which also contains a description of all the current federal citrus canker quarantine areas:http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/citrus-canker For additional information regarding the citrus canker program, you may call National Policy Manager, John Bienapfl, at 301-313-9223. /s/
Osama El-Lissy
Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
