This is a revised statement that is posted on Jene's Tropicals web site. Jene's is a Florida citrus and tropicals supplier/shipper. Citrus Joe found this revised Florida quarentine when he visited Junes web site yesterday.

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AS OF 18 December 2006, NO CITRUS TREES OF ANY KIND WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF CALAMONDIN´S, MEIWA AND NAGAMI KUMQUATS 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) HAVE NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO CITRUS CANKER, THE USDA HAS ISSUED A MANDATORY STOP-SHIPMENT ON ALL CITRUS BOUND FOR DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL EXPORT. CITRUS MAY STILL BE SHIPPED TO EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

I know calamondins are not affected by canker to the point of yield reduction or growth reduction, but there are aesthetic lesions on the fruits (which is only on the surface and very superficial) and makes them unappealing. Even so, Calamondins are effective carriers of canker even if they are minimally affected. Would it be more logical to ban shipping Calamondins (fruits and all, except extracted juice and seeds) from Florida? I don't know why the exception.

This sounds like something similiar we hashed out before. The information turned out to be incorrect. I haven't revisited it but, like Joe points out, it does not make sense to allow shipment of citrus that carry canker, it the objective is to prevent the spread of canker. It also does not make sense for the USDA to issue a directive, and then change it a few months later.

We discussed this in this same section a little further down. I have tried to link it here - not sure how this will work.

link

Ned

I was commenting on the policies or directives issued. Thanks for the link, they also worked and thanks to Millet for bringing this info to our attention.

Here is another quarantine posting, found on Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery's web site.
>Current regulations prohibit shipping citrus outside the state of Florida<

Here is one found on Harris Citrus Nursery's web site
>>The USDA Prohibits Florida Citrus Growers From
Shipping Out of State At this Time<<

Ned,I don't recall that we ever found the original posting by Jene's Tropicals was incorrect. I believe her quarantine posting being all in caps has nothing to do with the government. What Jene has posted on her web site is her company's explanation of the law, and not a copy of the actual directive. Jene must have been correct about the quarantine all along. In any case I would never purchase a citrus tree from Florida at this time any way.
Millet

I could be wrong, but so far I have seen nothing from the USDA that prohibits shipment of trees, or fruit, outside of Florida. It does appear that shipment is restricted in certain designated areas, but such areas are limited in scope. Granted, growers are strictly monitored in an effort to prevent the spread of disease, but, from what I have seen so far, they are still able to ship out of state.

That said, it looks like growers, and nurseries that do not, or cannot, meet the new requirements, will be prohibited from shipping out of state. I can see where some of the smaller nurseries and retail stores might not be able to meet the new requirements, or find it so diffcult that they have just decided not to try.

We will know about the nursery trees very shortly. Lowes, Home Depot, and WalMart sell citrus trees, and the trees have been coming out of Florida. I think they begin to get the shipments in February.

This has to do with citrus FRUIT shipments out of Florida - Millet

Inspection
Service
Plant Protection
and Quarantine
Washington, DC
20250

December 12, 2006

Important Notice:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking your support in preventing the spread of citrus canker from Florida to other States. Because infected and/or contaminated fruit could serve to spread this disease to other citrusproducing States, APHIS has recently published a rule which sets out specific requirements that must be met as a condition for the interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit. These regulations are necessary because citrus canker is now present in the majority of Florida’s citrus-producing counties.

Under the current Federal Quarantine, all shipments of fresh citrus are prohibited from leaving Florida unless they meet certain requirements, including:
• Inspection of the grove in which the fruit is produced, within 30 days of the beginning of harvest, with no citrus canker being found;
• Treatment of the fruit with approved decontaminating materials;
• Issuance of a Federal limited permit to accompany the fruit. The limited permit confirms that the inspection and treatment have been carried out, and that the fruit is being delivered only to addresses in noncitrus-producing States; and
• Clear marking on the packages to indicate that the fruit is prohibited from being delivered to other citrus-producing States.
What do these requirements mean to you and your business? Unless a citrus shipment is accompanied by a limited permit and the package is properly marked, the citrus cannot leave the State of Florida. Within Florida, citrus can still move freely, and no special permits are
required. has to do with the shipping of FRUIT out of Florida.

This is a copy of an E-mail I received from Reed Brothers Citrus Nursery, in response to my E-mail asking if Reed Brothers can legally ship their citrus trees out of Florida to non-citrus producing states. Reed Brothers Nursery is a major Florida's Nursery. As one of the Florida's very largest citrus nurseries, they produce citrus seed, commercial seedling root stock trees, commercial citrus varieties for growers, as well as containerized patio trees which Reed Brothers ships to northern wholesalers, for their retail marketing, they too are restricted from shipping any trees out of the state of Florida. They don't come much bigger than Reed Brothers. Here is their response to my E-mail. - Millet

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I, AM SORRY BUT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO SHIP TREES OUTSIDE THE STATE AT
THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INQUIRY.


Reed Brothers Citrus
P O Box 1863, Dundee, FL 33838
863-439-1916
863-439-4268 (fax)

Bob, It is my understanding Reed Brother's nursery at Dundee was put out of business when canker was found nearby. All of their stock was destroyed, and they are now under a two year quarantine. I don't know all of the details, but I from what I have read they were really hurt. I think even the state's budwood stock was affected.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051221/NEWS/512210378/1004/RSS&source=RSS

Ned, evidently someone is still working at Reed Brothers Nursery. They answered my E-mail five minutes after I sent it The link you posted above was both interesting and depressing, but well worth reading. On inspection of Reed Brothers Nursery no canker (0%) was found anywhere, however a tree within 1900 feet of his property had canker, so Mr. Chuck Reed was ordered to halt business for two years. Who knows? Anyway, thank you Ned for the link. The volume of the California citrus nursery business should increase greatly this coming year, with the big box stores LOWES, wal mart, HOME DEPOT. In my opinion, I don't know what would be worse, receiving a tree infected with canker or receiving a tree from wall mart..- Millet

Here is a link to USDA page on citrus canker regulations:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/citrus_canker/citrus_canker.shtml

Skeet