Today this was forwarded to me by Citrus Joe. This was posted on Jene's Nursery site.


ALL CUSTOMERS PLEASE READ

UPDATE FOR FLORIDA CITRUS CUSTOMERS:

11 December, 2006:

USDA REGULATIONS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:

No Citrus trees can be shipped to any county, city or area west of the Suwannee River, Florida. This is in compliance with regulations passed by the USDA for the prevention of the spread of Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing) and the Citrus Greening vector, Asiatic Citrus Psyllid.

AS OF 9 NOVEMBER 2006,

NO CITRUS TREES OF ANY KIND MAY BE SHIPPED TO ANY STATE WITHIN OR OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES BY ANY FLORIDA NURSERY. SHIPPING CITRUS OUTSIDE FLORIDA IS NOW AGAINST FEDERAL LAW. THE STATE OF FLORIDA IS NOW UNDER STRICT REGULATION FROM THE USDA AND IS UNDER PERMANENT QUARENTINE FOR CITRUS CANKER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. WHILE OUR NURSERY AND OUR COUNTY (PINELLAS COUNTY) HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO CITRUS CANKER, THE USDA HAS ISSUED A MANDATORY STOP-SHIPMENT ON ALL CITRUS BOUND FOR DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL EXPORT.

Glad you posted that Millet. I got this from Citrus Joe also.
I feel so bad for Florida citrus people!

oh WOW!! Good thing Stan isn't in Fl.. I'd have to find a new place to get my FIX.. Dreamin of my spring time order/FIX...


Gina *BabyBlue*

That will definately hurt the business in Florida, there are so many citrus nurseries there and now there will be a lot less customers to buy trees. Bad times for Florida right now.

Valenciaguy, it is yes and no. There are also some good news which preceded that bad news.

Last year, IIRC, the home growers of Florida cannot easily buy citrus trees once your areas are declared as quarantine for canker. I think so many miles around a single tree spotted for canker, all the citruses will be uprooted and burned and the home owner cannot replant. They have lifted that restriction after a series of strong hurricanes last year and at last concluded that fighting canker was a lost cause and choose to impose a statewide quarantine but allowed the home owners to replant citruses. Once that citrus tree ownership restriction was lifted, there was a surge in local demand that the local nurseries cannot cope up, they often have to import out of state. Now with this latest news of the local growers not being able to sell out of state, that would be a distance problem, they will have to satiate the local pent-up demand first. But of course, you are right that the local nurseries potentials would only go locally so far.

Would this apply to the budwood sent out of state by the Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration? I know that the budwood is processed to prevent contamination when sent out of state..
Terry

Well Folks...
That is big citrus news indeed. I guess I couldn't have come home with citrus this past Thanksgiving even if I wanted to.

The budwood is being moved North, not far from the Suwannee.

Is this the the beginning of the end for Florida Citrus nursuries?

Dr. Manners, can you save us?

Scott

Food for thought.

I have spent the last half hour or more trying to find something on the web to validate the alleged quarantine. To my surprise, I have found nothing that spells out such a restriction. I did find this:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/citrus_canker/content/documents/citrus_letter12-06.pdf

Note that it is dated December 12. I see nothing here about restrictions for taking citrus trees (or fruit) to non-citrus producing states. Note that the bulletin is dated December 12, 2006. I would think there would be some mention of the new rules.

Can anyone else shed light on the subject?

Ned

Ned, Citrus Joe said he got the news from Jene's. I haven't checked, but maybe she has this posted on her website.

One other thing that caught my attention, I do not think it is normal practice for government documents to be written it all caps. In fact, where I worked, it would have been frowned upon. Of course, the caps could have been added by the person posting the announcment.

Yup, just found it there.

http://secure.cartsvr.net/catalogs/store.asp?pid=175238&catid=30041

Yes Patty, she has it on her website, I question if it is correct. I think the part about the citrus greening may be, but I am not sure about the canker part. I really don't know, but before I accept it as fact, I will have to hear it from a higher source.

Maybe a email or call to Flying Dragon in Jacksonville?

I sent posed the question to the USDA in an email, and I figure I have stirred the pot here, where there are a lot of inquiring minds. I will wait a while, and if I don't hear something, that clears things up, I may make a call or two to Florida. Surely Dr. Manners knows, if he still frequents this site.

Below are some links that will tell more of the story.
It seems an inspection program will be implemented
for each shipment allowed to leave the state by special
permit only. Pretty much what we went through for
the Mediterranean Fruit Fly here. A typical federally
imposed and overseen quarantine used to imply nothing
comes into the state and nothing goes out from the state
without a special permit. This permit applies not only to
fresh fruit but to nursery stock as well is how it used to
work.

Some background information.

Citrus Canker; Quarantine of the State of Florida [Federal
Register: August 1, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 147)]

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-12314.htm

citrus_letter12-06.pdf (application/pdf Object):

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/citrus_canker/content/documents/citrus_letter12-06.pdf

This file shows what the limited permit looks like.

Don't Spread Citrus Canker

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/content/printable_version/CitrusCankerENG12-06.pdf

Jim