Applications For Fresh-Fruit Shipments Due Soon
Although we look forward to the day when asymptomatic citrus fruit will be accepted by all states, territories and countries — regardless of whether our groves are free of citrus canker, please be aware that we currently continue to operate under the USDA Federal Interim Rule, which requires that we continue to conduct pre-harvest fresh fruit surveys and issue harvesting permits for blocks apparently free of citrus canker prior to shipping fresh citrus fruit to any restricted markets. Markets with canker restrictions currently open to receiving fresh citrus fruit from Florida include non-citrus producing states, the European Union and Korea.
With the exception of packinghouses, all compliance agreements and compliance agreement numbers (“C/A Numbers”) issued for the 2006—2007 harvesting season are still in effect and will remain in effect until the new federal rule is published in the fall of 2007. New Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP) Compliance Agreements will be issued by the State this fall to coincide with the publication of the new federal rule. The State will issue compliance agreements to most regulated companies, including growers, caretakers, hedger / toppers, harvesters, haulers, fruit dealers, processors, and citrus nurseries. USDA / APHIS will be issuing new compliance agreements for the approaching season only for packers and re-packers of fresh citrus fruit. The new federal regulations will become effective upon the official signing and publication of the new federal rule, which we currently anticipate in October 2007.
As of now, we must proceed into the new harvesting season in accordance with the existing USDA federal interim rule. The rule requires that any fruit to be harvested for restricted fresh fruit markets must be inspected prior to harvest, and a harvesting permit is required for all interstate, EU and Korean shipments. Any grove block found positive for canker during any pre-harvest survey will be disqualified for interstate and EU/ Korean markets for the remainder of the harvesting season. If citrus canker is found in a grove anytime after June 1, 2007, that grove block will be disqualified for interstate movement for the remainder of the 2007–2008 citrus harvesting season. It is highly recommended that grower self-surveys be conducted in advance of June 1st for any grove blocks that are expected to be shipped as fresh fruit to restricted markets.
If you are a fresh fruit grower and you expect to sell fresh fruit in restricted markets during the 2007–2008 harvesting season, you must fill out and submit an Application for Participation in the CHRP Fresh Fruit Certification Program to the Division of Plant Industry along with maps of your groves by June 1, 2007. The address and fax number are located on the form. If you submitted an application last season and you expect that the grove subdivisions you submitted previously are satisfactory, then indicate, “No Changes,” and send in a photocopy of your application from last season. If changes are being made to a previous application, please be very clear and provide updated information and maps. If you are applying for the first time, please fill out the form in detail and supply maps as requested, showing the location or parcel ID of each grove. Once these blocks have been identified, the boundaries cannot be changed nor can a grove be subdivided throughout the remainder of the 2007–2008 harvesting season. All groves that are subdivided must meet the federal definition from CFR 301.75-1: “Grove. Any tree or stand of trees maintained to produce fruit and separated from other trees by a boundary, such as a fence, stream, road, canal, irrigation ditch, hedgerow, open space, or sign or marker denoting change of fruit variety.”
As the new season approaches, please review your compliance agreements and the following regulatory items:
• A Harvesting Permit must be issued for qualified groves by the Citrus Health Response Program (“CHRP”), and the harvest of fruit must begin within 30 days of official pre-harvest inspection for interstate markets (or 90 days for European or Korean markets). Please indicate on the application if you intend to ship to any unrestricted markets.
• For interstate markets, a Harvesting Permit is valid beyond 30 days (for the remainder of the season) provided that harvesting begins and is documented within 30 days of the official survey and no canker is found in the packinghouse.
• A qualified grove for fresh fruit shipment to restricted markets is defined as a grove block inspected by CHRP officials and found to be free of citrus canker since June 1, 2007, that also meets time constraints and handling requirements stated herein for the beginning of harvest.
• Beginning of harvest: at least one field box must be harvested and sent to a packinghouse with a trip ticket & harvesting permit, and a packinghouse lot number must be assigned.
• A grove block that does not meet the time limitation or documentation requirements for beginning of harvest must be re-inspected, found to be free of canker, and a new harvesting permit issued prior to harvest.
• Once grower has received a harvest permit, please notify the local CHRP field office when harvesting is scheduled to begin. Harvesting operations will be observed by CHRP officials as a service to growers, as resources permit.
• The Harvesting Permit number must be written on all trip-tickets for qualified grove blocks.
• Grove blocks found positive for citrus canker (not qualified to receive a Harvesting Permit) will receive a Record of Positive Survey. Whenever a Harvesting Permit is not issued for (or is withdrawn from) a grove, the Grower’s Compliance Agreement Number (“C/A Number”) is required on all trip tickets prior to moving fruit from the grove.
• Only submit those blocks where you are certain you intend to harvest for the fresh market. Since program resources are limited, applications will be processed in the order received, and surveys will then be conducted in accordance with maturity of fruit and market conditions.
• Please note that the European Union requires that each grove be inspected to include a 50 foot buffer in addition to the central grove, and must be surveyed by state or federal officials since July 1, 2007 and found to be free of citrus canker. A Harvesting Permit must then be issued, and harvesting must commence and be documented within 90 days of the official CHRP survey. These same requirements are also in effect for shipments to Korea.
• All packinghouses, including gift fruit and re-packing facilities, when shipping to restricted markets, must ship only CHRP inspected and approved citrus fruit. Florida fruit must have a harvesting permit and a packinghouse run lot number, and the fruit must be treated in accordance with USDA regulations prior to leaving Florida. Interstate shipments must have limited permits on all fruit containers and shipping manifests. Current regulations require that boxes or other containers in which the fruit is packaged must be clearly marked with the statement ‘Not for distribution in AZ, CA, HI, LA, TX, and American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands of the United States’. The requirements for box or container markings may change under the proposed citrus fruit rule; therefore packers may wish to delay printing of boxes for the upcoming season until the rule is published.
• Florida grown citrus fruit may not be shipped to citrus producing states and territories until further notice.
• Imported fruit must be accompanied by a bill of lading stating the location of the grove in which the fruit was produced and must remain segregated from Florida fruit if it is to be shipped to citrus producing states or territories.
• Packers or shippers who intend to import citrus from other states must contact USDA to obtain the necessary certification for resale of the fruit outside of Florida.
• Certified imported fruit may be shipped to non-citrus producing states when handled in accordance with Federal regulations and accompanied by a Limited Permit.
• Certified imported fruit may be shipped to citrus producing states and territories when handled in accordance with federal regulations and accompanied by a PPQ-540 certificate.
The goal, again, is to continue to ship asymptomatic fruit (fresh citrus fruit that is free of citrus canker symptoms) to as many markets as possible under USDA established requirements. Please contact your local CHRP Program office, or contact Mark Estes or Tomas Gonzales in the statewide regulatory office at 863-298-7777 with any questions.
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