Canada imposes import requirements on eight California counties
Canada imposes import requirements on eight California counties
Canada imposed import requirements on the eight California counties where the light brown apple moth has been spotted and identified in the United States. The requirements went into effect June 25.
The import requirements will involve only product destined to British Columbia and will include inspections and phytosanitary certification demonstrating that the moth is absent from a long list of agricultural products. The phytosanitary certification involves federal parameters. The requirements call for a 2 percent inspection, meaning that two cases out of every 100 of a product will be inspected.
The eight affected counties are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Mateo. While the moth appears to be a threat particularly to nursery products, more than 200 plants are known to be hosts for the moth, including stone fruits, citrus, grapes, strawberries and flowers.
Monterey County likely stands to be affected the most based on shear volume of exports to Canada and because harvesting is underway, said Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen.
Until now, fruits and vegetables have traveled freely from the United States to Canada, Mr. Lauritzen said. He was quick to point out that he believes Canada is taking what it believes to be prudent caution and that Canada "doesn't have any artificial trade barrier" in play here. Still, Canada represents "a new country, a new requirement," and product will have to be held aside for inspection.
"This demonstrates Canada's concern over LBAM," Mr. Lauritzen said, adding that the United States is taking action to arrest the spread of LBAM and that Canada is being "conservative in its approach."
Despite Canada's precautions, Mr. Lauritzen said there is "no risk" of finding LBAM egg masses on strawberries and that's it's "unlikely" to find LBAM larvae on any products. There's even a lower risk of spreading an infestation, he said.
"[LBAM] has to pupate and has to have a mate and host plants," Mr. Lauritzen said. "The actual biological risk is infinitesimally small in terms of establishing an infestation."
Mr. Lauritzen said that the risk of establishing an infestation is higher in plants and cut flowers.
Canada has a "high level of concern" in particular about brassica vegetables -- the genus of plants in the broccoli and cauliflower family -- and table grapes, Mr. Lauritzen said.
Monterey County crops to be affected include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and strawberries.
"Monterey County, the state of California and the USDA are working together to minimize the impact on the industry," Mr. Lauritzen said. "We hope it isn't a choke-hold on product."
In the short term, California will do what it needs to do to get product into Canada. With strawberries, there's already a system in place so that meeting Canada's requirements should be a relatively streamlined process that now will include writing the phytosanitary certificates.
State and federal officials will work hard to limit the areas affected by LBAM and to reduce the host list imposed by Canada, Mr. Lauritzen said. That effort will include analysis of the relative risks between various commodities such as strawberries, broccoli and table grapes, he said.
Canadian officials are interested in having LBAM go through two complete lifecycles in California. The import requirements that Canada is imposing will be revisited sometime between the middle of July and September, he said.
Aside from Monterey County, Santa Cruz County also could feel a considerable impact. A number of the other counties involved will be affected later in the year with their table grape exports.
"We know where the insect is, and it isn't in Monterey County," Mr. Lauritzen said. The moth is on the edge of agricultural production in Monterey County, spotted in the northern part of the county and in Prunedale at the northern edge of the Salinas Valley. Strawberries are one notable crop grown in that general area.
As far as Canada's focus on British Columbia, Mr. Lauritzen said that he suspects the import pattern for British Columbia is different from the rest of Canada, and that Canada also is trying to protect British Columbia's agricultural industry.
Mr. Lauritzen said that he anticipates an early system whereby phytosanitary certificates for strawberries are written at the coolers. There also will be a compliance agreement with growers that involves field inspections that would be conducted within 30 days of signing. In the very short term, product would be inspected at the coolers only.
Canada's requirements will cause a strain on governmental resources and will involve fees in the fresh produce industry. Implementation of these regulations will strain the resources of his office, Mr. Lauritzen said.
There are 60-70 state and federal officials who cover agricultural products in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties out of Watsonville, CA.
Canada far outdistances any other country as a source of exports for Monterey County's agricultural products. In 2006, Monterey County exported more than 340 million pounds of agricultural products to Canada. By contrast, Monterey County exported slightly more than 41 million pounds in 2006 to Mexico - its fourth-largest export destination.
The moth, thought to be native to Australia, was first spotted and identified in the United States in the San Francisco Bay area in mid-March. In early May, a federal quarantine was enacted that restricted interstate movement of host material from the nine counties identified as well as Hawaii, where the pest was identified in the distant past.
In late May, Mexico restricted shipments of some products known to be hosts from the quarantined areas. That prohibition did not include strawberries.
The import requirements will involve only product destined to British Columbia and will include inspections and phytosanitary certification demonstrating that the moth is absent from a long list of agricultural products. The phytosanitary certification involves federal parameters. The requirements call for a 2 percent inspection, meaning that two cases out of every 100 of a product will be inspected.
The eight affected counties are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Mateo. While the moth appears to be a threat particularly to nursery products, more than 200 plants are known to be hosts for the moth, including stone fruits, citrus, grapes, strawberries and flowers.
Monterey County likely stands to be affected the most based on shear volume of exports to Canada and because harvesting is underway, said Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen.
Until now, fruits and vegetables have traveled freely from the United States to Canada, Mr. Lauritzen said. He was quick to point out that he believes Canada is taking what it believes to be prudent caution and that Canada "doesn't have any artificial trade barrier" in play here. Still, Canada represents "a new country, a new requirement," and product will have to be held aside for inspection.
"This demonstrates Canada's concern over LBAM," Mr. Lauritzen said, adding that the United States is taking action to arrest the spread of LBAM and that Canada is being "conservative in its approach."
Despite Canada's precautions, Mr. Lauritzen said there is "no risk" of finding LBAM egg masses on strawberries and that's it's "unlikely" to find LBAM larvae on any products. There's even a lower risk of spreading an infestation, he said.
"[LBAM] has to pupate and has to have a mate and host plants," Mr. Lauritzen said. "The actual biological risk is infinitesimally small in terms of establishing an infestation."
Mr. Lauritzen said that the risk of establishing an infestation is higher in plants and cut flowers.
Canada has a "high level of concern" in particular about brassica vegetables -- the genus of plants in the broccoli and cauliflower family -- and table grapes, Mr. Lauritzen said.
Monterey County crops to be affected include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and strawberries.
"Monterey County, the state of California and the USDA are working together to minimize the impact on the industry," Mr. Lauritzen said. "We hope it isn't a choke-hold on product."
In the short term, California will do what it needs to do to get product into Canada. With strawberries, there's already a system in place so that meeting Canada's requirements should be a relatively streamlined process that now will include writing the phytosanitary certificates.
State and federal officials will work hard to limit the areas affected by LBAM and to reduce the host list imposed by Canada, Mr. Lauritzen said. That effort will include analysis of the relative risks between various commodities such as strawberries, broccoli and table grapes, he said.
Canadian officials are interested in having LBAM go through two complete lifecycles in California. The import requirements that Canada is imposing will be revisited sometime between the middle of July and September, he said.
Aside from Monterey County, Santa Cruz County also could feel a considerable impact. A number of the other counties involved will be affected later in the year with their table grape exports.
"We know where the insect is, and it isn't in Monterey County," Mr. Lauritzen said. The moth is on the edge of agricultural production in Monterey County, spotted in the northern part of the county and in Prunedale at the northern edge of the Salinas Valley. Strawberries are one notable crop grown in that general area.
As far as Canada's focus on British Columbia, Mr. Lauritzen said that he suspects the import pattern for British Columbia is different from the rest of Canada, and that Canada also is trying to protect British Columbia's agricultural industry.
Mr. Lauritzen said that he anticipates an early system whereby phytosanitary certificates for strawberries are written at the coolers. There also will be a compliance agreement with growers that involves field inspections that would be conducted within 30 days of signing. In the very short term, product would be inspected at the coolers only.
Canada's requirements will cause a strain on governmental resources and will involve fees in the fresh produce industry. Implementation of these regulations will strain the resources of his office, Mr. Lauritzen said.
There are 60-70 state and federal officials who cover agricultural products in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties out of Watsonville, CA.
Canada far outdistances any other country as a source of exports for Monterey County's agricultural products. In 2006, Monterey County exported more than 340 million pounds of agricultural products to Canada. By contrast, Monterey County exported slightly more than 41 million pounds in 2006 to Mexico - its fourth-largest export destination.
The moth, thought to be native to Australia, was first spotted and identified in the United States in the San Francisco Bay area in mid-March. In early May, a federal quarantine was enacted that restricted interstate movement of host material from the nine counties identified as well as Hawaii, where the pest was identified in the distant past.
In late May, Mexico restricted shipments of some products known to be hosts from the quarantined areas. That prohibition did not include strawberries.
