California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: USDA APHIS

  • APHIS Expands the Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing) Quarantined Area in California

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is expanding the citrus greening (Huanglongbing; HLB) quarantined area in California. APHIS is adding one square mile to the Santa Paula quarantined area in Ventura County, which impacts 151.7 acres of commercial citrus. APHIS is adding 10 square miles to the quarantined area in Riverside and San Diego Counties, which impacts 121.5 acres of commercial citrus. This measure parallels the intrastate quarantine that CDFA established on July 15, 2026. APHIS is taking this action because plant tissue samples from residential properties tested positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the causal agent of HLB.

    APHIS is applying safeguarding measures outlined in 7 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 301.76 through 301.76-11 and associated Federal Orders that govern interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas. This action helps prevent HLB from spreading to areas that are not currently infested.

    For updated maps and details, visit the APHIS Citrus Greening and Asian Citrus Psyllid webpage. APHIS will also publish a notice of this change in the “Federal Register.”

    For additional information contact Abby R. Stilwell at 919-323-6296 or abby.r.stilwell@usda.gov

    — Story contributed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

  • APHIS Expands Sweet Orange Scab Quarantine

    Effective Aug. 19, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), expanded the area quarantined for sweet orange scab (SOS) in the Burbank, Los Angeles and Long Beach areas of Los Angeles County and the Anaheim and Garden Grove areas of Orange County. SOS is a disease caused by the fungus Elsinöe australis. APHIS is expanding the quarantined area by 110 square miles in Los Angeles County and 67 square miles in Orange County. APHIS is taking this action because of SOS detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. There are 2.5 acres of commercial citrus impacted by the Anaheim and Garden Grove area expansion

    APHIS is applying safeguarding measures outlined in Federal Order DA-2024-34 pertaining to the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. This measure parallels the intrastate quarantine that CDFA established on June 18, 2026. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of SOS to non-infested areas of the United States

    The APHIS Sweet Orange Scab webpage has information on this disease, Federal Orders, APHIS approved packinghouse procedures, and a description of current Federal SOS quarantined areas.

    For additional information growers may contact:

    Abby R. Stilwell
    Agriculturalist
    919-323-6296
    abby.r.stilwell@usda.gov

    — Story contributed by USDA APHIS

  • APHIS Posts Updated Quarantine Map

    APHIS updated the Federal Domestic Soil Quarantines Map to include the following changes:

    • Added the Mexican Fruit Fly Quarantine in San Diego County, CA
    • Added the Sapote Fruit Fly Quarantine in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy Counties, TX

    APHIS restricts the movement of domestic soil from areas within the continental United States that are under quarantine for specific plant pests. The Federal Domestic Soil Quarantines Map provides an overview of the plant pest quarantines that affect the movement of soil.

    This map is a general guidance tool only. For specific quarantine information, including quarantine boundaries and the requirements for moving domestic soil, contact your local APHIS State plant health director.

  • South Africa Market Now Open for U.S. Fresh Blueberries

    South Africa has officially approved market access for fresh blueberries from all U.S. states.

    Market Access Letter
    Operational Work Plan – West Coast
    Operational Work Plan – East Coast

    All facilities intending to ship to South Africa must register. This market will be added to the comprehensive facility registration form that the USHBC publishes every September for the following season. Exporters should watch for an email next month with facility registration details.

    If you’re interested in shipping during the 2025 season, please contact North American Blueberry Council/US Highbush Blueberry Council (NABC/USHBC) Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby as soon as possible.

    After years of stalled progress, we thank the Trump administration for prioritizing this request and opening the South Africa market for U.S. fresh blueberries. We’re grateful to the dedicated team at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for their collaboration and for securing a science-based and practical work plan for blueberry growers and packers.

    Although South Africa’s blueberry market has evolved significantly since the original access request, NABC and USHBC remain optimistic about the opportunities this market presents. We believe strongly in the importance of open, science-based trade, and will continue working to expand and strengthen global market access for U.S. blueberry growers.

    To learn more about NABC’s market access efforts, contact Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby. For information on USHBC’s market development programs, contact Director of Global Business Development Haiying Zhang. 

    History of the Request for Access

    This milestone was made possible through nearly a decade of collaboration among NABC, USHBC, the California Blueberry Commission, Oregon Blueberry Commission and Washington Blueberry Commission. We also thank Rufus Isaacs, Ph.D., of Michigan State University for his technical guidance on the operational work plan, and our partners at Bryant Christie Inc., whose support was instrumental in advancing this request.

  • Ravens & Crows Wreak Havoc in Orchards, Vineyards & Dairies

    Do you suspect some big black birds are damaging your irrigation lines, pecking at your newborn calves or eating your developing crop? You may have a problem with crows or ravens. But how do you tell the two apart, and how can you legally control them? Watch this brief interview with Brian Popper from USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services to learn more (special thanks to Hardshell Labs for providing some of the video b-roll footage).

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • $12 Million to Eradicate an Invasive Rodent of Unusual Size

    You may have heard of them in the comedy film Princess Bride as “Rodents of Unusual Size”, but this is the real thing — only not so large and formidable.  Nutria were originally introduced into the United States as part of the fur trade in the late 1800s, but were eradicated from California in the 1970s.  They made a sudden reappearance a few years ago, and are a great threat to our water infrastructure, indigenous wildlife, and even certain crops. Watch this brief interview with Brian Popper from USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, who spoke about a number of wildlife pests at Malcolm Media’s annual Tree & Vine Expo recently.
     
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • $12 Million to Eradicate an Invasive Rodent of Unusual Size

    You may have heard of them in the comedy film Princess Bride as “Rodents of Unusual Size”, but this is the real thing — only not so large and formidable.  Nutria were originally introduced into the United States as part of the fur trade in the late 1800s, but were eradicated from California in the 1970s.  They made a sudden reappearance a few years ago, and are a great threat to our water infrastructure, indigenous wildlife, and even certain crops. Watch this brief interview with Brian Popper from USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services, who spoke about a number of wildlife pests at Malcolm Media’s annual Tree & Vine Expo recently.
     
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Argentine Ant Inhibits Biocontrol Options for Deadly Citrus Pests

    Growers want to minimize their pesticide use in the orchard; but when you have invasive pests like the Argentine Ant protecting aphids and psyllids from natural predators, your options are limited.  Watch this brief interview with Greg Simmons from the USDA-APHIS as he explains and read more about it in California Fresh Fruit Magazine.