California Avocado Commission Successfully Petitions Hass Avocados Removal from USDA's OFF Quarantine List; Ken Melban Details
IRVINE, CA - A major victory for Hass avocados has been made, thanks in part to the California Avocado Commission (CAC). The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established an Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) quarantine in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California, with Hass avocados entered on the host list as of September 27, 2023. CAC staff immediately began working with the USDA to remove this listing, which was completed on October 27, 2023.
“The removal of the previously mandatory treatment requirements for fruit on trees within the quarantine area will result in significant savings for Hass avocado growers within the quarantine area,” said Ken Melban, CAC Vice President of Industry Affairs and Operations. “California avocado growers are committed to providing customers with consistently reliable avocados in season.”
As noted on the release, the USDA’s OFF quarantine area includes avocado production regions and listed Hass avocados as a host, which was inconsistent with USDA’s Mediterranean Fruit Fly and Mexican Fruit Fly host lists that do not include Hass avocados. California Avocado Commission staff immediately informed USDA of this inconsistency, which led to the removal.
Other avocado varieties (e.g., Bacon, Zutano, etc.) within the OFF quarantine area are still required to follow the established treatment protocols. As with Mediterranean Fruit Fly and Mexican Fruit Fly quarantines, the harvest, shipping, and packing of Hass avocados from within the OFF quarantine region must comply with approved regulatory measures. The grower requirements for Hass avocado production within the OFF quarantine zone will mirror the requirements for Mexican Fruit Fly quarantine areas. In addition, the requirements for packing houses receiving Hass avocados from the quarantine area(s) will mirror the Mexican Fruit Fly requirements.
The Commission also is working with USDA to remove Hass avocados as a host for the Queensland Fruit Fly quarantine, which currently includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. CAC will continue to work with USDA and CDFA on these fruit fly quarantines to ensure safeguards are met.
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