The canker divide
The publication of today's rule in the Federal Register that sets the limited parameters for the movement of citrus nursery plants from Florida precedes what will be another rule on commercial citrus shipments from Florida. That rule could be issued in several weeks and be open for public comment.
Richard Kinney of Florida Citrus Packers says that the USDA's pest risk assessment states that fruit with no symptoms of canker poses a negligible risk of spreading the disease. Based on that PRA (which assumes mitigating measures in the packing house) Florida sources believe they should be able to ship to all states this fall, including citrus states. Florida is currently prohibited from shipping to any citrus producing state now.
"We expect to be shipping to those (citrus states) too," he said.
"The science indicates that symptomless fruit is not a vector for the disease," Kinney said.
He said 95% of Florida's fresh citrus is sold east of the Mississippi in any case.
Current rules states Florida can only ship from groves certified to be free of canker, no matter the destination, and even if the fruit is bound for the northern tier of states. Shipping from groves certified canker free is getting more difficult as canker continues to spread.
"There is no harbor for the disease in Minnesota or New York; we're going through all this to ship fruit to Minnesota?" Kinney asks.
Kinney expects opposition from Western citrus leaders and erstwhile friends such as Joel Nelsen and Mike Wootton to any USDA rule that reflects the idea that symptomless fruit poses a negligible risk.
Wootton of Sunkist said that there is no clear verdict on whether symptomless fruit poses a risk to spread canker.
With some scientists saying yes and others no, Wootton said "it doesn't seem prudent" to go ahead and change the rule until the science is resolved, he said
TK; The USDA must somehow resolve this thorny and important issue of Florida citrus market access to U.S. consumers. The near term fortunes of the Florida citrus industry - and the long term U.S. market opportunities of other citrus regions with canker - lean heavily on the USDA decision. At the same time, California interests may rightly feel that any "rush to judgement" to change long standing policy puts them at great risk.
Labels: Citrus, citrus canker, FDA, The Packer
posted by Tom Karst @ 12:52 PM
2 Comments:
"...We will also continue to
allow the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock for immediate
export, under certain conditions. This action is necessary to clarify
our regulations and to address the risk associated with the interstate
movement of regulated nursery stock from areas quarantined for citrus
canker."
Sooooo, in gov-speak does this mean they can move potentially infected plants out of the area as long as it goes out of the country so we can see what happens?
As a person who grew up in Minnesota, I can attest to the fact that there are no citrus trees growing up there (except perhaps in a glass cage at the Como Park conservatory in St. Paul.
It is a good bet that citrus can safely be shipped to the whole upper midwest without fear of contamination of existing plants. It is a difficult problem, and I can understand the need for caution, but common sense is necessary as well.
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