OREANDA-NEWS. April 11, 2016. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will open its 60-day comment period for those wishing to give feedback on the pest risks evaluation associated with the importation of fresh dragon fruit (pitahaya) from Ecuador into the United States and the proposed mitigation measures for any pests of concern. The comment period will end June 7, 2016.

The proposed rule amends the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow importation of fresh dragon fruit from Ecuador into the United States under a systems approach. The risk mitigation measures include requirements for fruit fly trapping, pre-harvest inspections, approved production sites, and packinghouse procedures designed to exclude quarantine pests. The commercial consignments would require a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Ecuador with a declaration that the fruit was prepared for export in accordance with the requirements of the systems approach.

To submit comments visit: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D= APHIS-2015-0004 .

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