Citrus Updates, Meetings and Forms | Growers

CDFA Releases 2023-24 Valencia Orange Objective Measurement Report

California Citrus Industry:

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in cooperation with the USDA National Agriculture Statistic Service (NASS), released its 2023-24 Valencia Orange Objective Measurement Report today. Attached is the report. 2023-24 Valencia Orange Objective Measurement Rpt

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: FAQs for Invasive Fruit Flies

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing the industry with information about recent detections of invasive fruit flies and how to comply with fruit fly regulations. The attached document provides answers to frequently asked questions along with links to useful information on the California Department of Food And Agriculture’s website.

Additional information about compliance agreements and specific requirements can be found on CCQC’s website under “Invasive Pests” at https://ccqc.org/crop-health/invasive-pests/.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: EPA Hosting Webinar on Understanding Bulletins Live! Two

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting the industry with information on how to comply with the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a webinar to explain how growers, Pest Control Advisors (PCAs), applicators and farm advisors can use “Bulletin’s Live! Two” to locate endangered species habitats and comply with directions on pesticide labels to protect threatened and endangered species.

You may have heard that over the last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has abruptly changed its endangered species policy. The new policy will add mitigation measures to nearly all pesticide labels that growers must follow to protect endangered species. Some mitigations will depend on the location and timing of pesticide applications and the critical habitat of endangered species.

Bulletins Live! Two will be the primary vehicle to communicate potential pesticide restrictions to growers, PCAs and applicators for the protection of endangered species. Growers, PCA’s and applicators will be required to consult the Bulletins Live! Two website before making pesticide applications to ensure that endangered and threatened species are protected.

EPA has indicated that it plans to begin implementation of its new ESA policy and the use of Bulletins Live! Two within the next 18 months, so this will be a good opportunity for growers, PCAs and applicators to become more familiar with the website and how to use it.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Ethyl Formate Resource Information & Survey

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) has been working with Draslovka, the registrant of ethyl formate to assist with the registration of ethyl formate. While the timing of the approval is uncertain at this time, we are starting planning for the eventual registration by facilitating communication between Draslovka and Horn Technologies, the primary applicator of ethyl formate and the California citrus industry.

Horn Technologies is preparing for the registration of ethyl formate and seeking information from interested growers and packinghouses that will help them plan and prepare for the roll out of ethyl formate.

If you have an interest in ethyl formate, please consider filling out the short survey. You can contact Horn Technologies’ Leonel Jimenez via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (559) 653-2010.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Citrus Preseason Export Webinar – Sept 28, 2023

Citrus Exporters and Interested Parties:

USDA/APHIS is inviting you to a Citrus Preseason Export webinar they are offering on Thursday, September 28 at 10:00 am. The virtual meeting will cover USDA’s power point presentations from the meeting held on September 21 in Visalia. If you were unable to attend the meeting yesterday or would like to review the information presented, please join the webinar.

All the presentations from the Citrus Preseason Export Meeting will be posted to CCQC’s website. If you have any questions regarding the webinar, please contact Scott Cornett [email protected].

2023/24 Citrus Shippers’ List – Please Reply

Citrus Packinghouses:

The California Citrus Quality Council is required annually to submit to USDA/APHIS a list of approved packinghouses registered to export citrus to Australia, Korea, China, Chile, Thailand and Vietnam. If your packinghouse plans to export to any of these markets this season, you must register with CCQC to be included on the 2023/24 shippers’ lists. Registration for Korea was sent separately and is just about complete.

Attached is the registration form for Australia, China, Chile, Thailand and Vietnam and last year’s shippers’ list for reference. Please complete the registration form and disclosure statement and return by Friday, September 22, 2023.

2023 24 Citrus Export Markets Registration Form 92023
Australia Shippers List 2023
Chile Shippers List 2023
China Shippers List 2023
Thailand Shippers List 2023
Vietnam Shippers List 2023r

CCQC will send a draft of the shippers’ lists for your review and final approval prior to submission to USDA/APHIS and posting to CCQC’s website.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

SAVE THE DATE: Food Safety Roundtable Meeting – Oct 25

The California Citrus Quality Council will be holding a Food Safety Roundtable Meeting on Wednesday, October 25 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Lindcove Research Center. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the results of research recently conducted by Fresno State’s Steven Pao and to share experiences regarding food safety issues.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

CDFA Releases 2023 Mandarin Objective Measurement Report

California Citrus Industry:

The California Department of Food and Agriculture released its 2023 California Mandarin Objective Measurement Report today. Click on the link here to access the report. The report can also be found on CCQC’s website.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

CDFA Releases 2023-24 Navel Orange Objective Measurement Report

California Citrus Industry:

The California Department of Food and Agriculture released its 2023-24 Navel Orange Objective Measurement Report today. Click on the link here to access the report.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

REMINDER: Citrus Preseason Export Meetings – Sept 21, 2023

California Citrus Exporters and Interested Parties:

This is a reminder the citrus preseason export meetings will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at the Visalia Convention Center. The meetings will provide an overview of the requirements and changes for our major export markets for the 2023/24 season. The morning session begins at 9:30 am and will cover Korea, China, Thailand and Vietnam. The afternoon session will start at 1:30 pm and cover Australia and New Zealand. The agenda for the meetings are attached. Attendance is not mandatory, but is advised.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

2023/24 Korea Registration Form/Orange Survey – Please Reply

Citrus Packinghouses:

If you plan to export citrus to Korea this season, packinghouses must register with the California Citrus Quality Council to be included on the 2023/24 Korea shippers’ list. This is a requirement for quarantine compliance. Attached islast year’s list for your reference.

To register, please complete the registration form, disclosure statement and orange survey attached and return by Wednesday, September 13, 2023. If your packinghouse exports lemons or mandarins only, check the box on the survey and return with your registration form. Please fill out all areas on the registration form including selecting the county from the drop down menu.

Packinghouses and importers should use the same packinghouse name to ensure the names are consistent and match the registered shippers’ list, import applications and on-line with MFDS. Any conflicting information could lead to holding shipments and delays. CCQC will send a draft of the Korea shippers lists for your final review and approval. Once the list is submitted to APHIS, the list will be posted on CCQC’s website and no revisions will be made until next season.

As a reminder, MFDS registration is a requirement for exports to Korea and must be renewed every two years. Each facility should be aware of your expiration date and renew your registration at least seven days before the registration expires and no more than 30 days prior to the expiration date.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

SAVE THE DATE: Citrus Preseason Export Meetings – Sept 21, 2023

California Citrus Exporters and Interested Parties:

The California Citrus Quality Council will hold the citrus preseason export meetings on Thursday, September 21, 2023. The in-person meetings will be held at the Visalia Convention Center and provide an overview of the requirements and changes for our major export markets for the 2023/24 season.

Please save the date. More details will be provided as we get closer to the date.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Vietnam Grants Market Access for CA and TX grapefruit

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting the industry to let you know that Vietnam has granted market access for California and Texas grapefruit.

Attached is the 2022-2023 Shipper’s list for Vietnam for oranges. We will now include grapefruit in the title. If your packinghouse is not on the list and you plan to export grapefruit, please return the registration form no later than noon on Friday, Feb 3 to be added to the 2022-2023 Vietnam shippers list.

California Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap

Interested Parties:

Attached for your information is the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (CDFA) “roadmap” to reduce pesticide use in California agriculture, which as announced last week. According to the plan, growers are expected to transition to a sustainable pest management system that gives greater consideration to:

Impacts on communities, and equity
Linkages to broader environmental issues such as water conservation, biodiversity conservation, soil health, and climate impact
A broader consideration of economic benefits and impacts

Additionally, an advisory committee will be appointed by CDPR to identify “priority pesticides,” which are pesticides that “have been deemed to be of greatest concern and warrant heightened attention, planning, and support to expedite their replacement and eventual elimination” by 2050.

Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) replaces integrated pest management (IPM) as the new standard for pest management in California. CDPR is accepting comments on the roadmap until March 13.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Compostable PLU Sticker Requirement – New Zealand

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing notice of new regulations in New Zealand requiring the use of compostable PLU stickers for citrus imports.

The Government of New Zealand has passed legislation that will restrict a wide range of plastic products to be sold in New Zealand, including non-compostable produce stickers. Produce stickers for domestically produced fruit and vegetables in New Zealand are required to be compostable by 2023, while imported produce will need to have compostable stickers by mid-2025.

Please see this report from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service regarding the new regulation.

Contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: China and Korea Protocols

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing clarification about deadlines for applying fungicide treatments for compliance with the China and Korea protocols.

CCQC is clarifying that treatment deadlines are not regulatory deadlines that will disqualify lots if the deadline is not met, but the date is used by regulators as a guide. The identified deadline provides an assurance that lots treated by this date and in accordance with the labeled fungicides are unlikely to encounter regulatory problems upon arrival at the export destination. Applications that are made after the deadline still provide a measure of protection, but the probability of regulatory problems upon arrival increases when delays occur.

Lots can still qualify for export as long as the treatments are made within reason according to environmental conditions; generally considered within approximately 7 days of the deadline by regulators.

Given that delays in treatments increase the risk of regulatory incidents upon arrival, growers and packers should coordinate to implement additional risk mitigation measures to minimize the chances of interceptions or rejections if treatment delays occur. These include the following:

Growers should alert packers when applications are delayed.
Greater emphasis should be given to monitoring and documenting the results of monitoring for both Phytophthora brown rot and Septoria spot.
Utilize the NAVEK lab to evaluate disease occurrence and utilize the results for decision making in lots designated for export.
To the extent possible, harvest lower risk sections of trees. For example, brown rot is mostly in the lower part of the tree, so harvesting above 20 inches reduces the risk.
Consider additional preharvest treatments such as mixtures of copper and newer labeled fungicides as outline in the protocol GAPs.
Adjust postharvest treatments according to risk. For example, select postharvest fungicides that suppress Septoria citri sporulation such as azoxystrobin and TBZ as outlined in protocol GAPs.
A combination of these measures should be used if treatments must be delayed.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Second Fungicide Application – Korea

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing additional guidance on how to comply with the Korea export protocol.

Korea
Earlier this week, CCQC advised the industry that the risk of Septoria infections is high in most counties except for Imperial, Eastern Riverside, San Diego, and Kern Counties. Fungicide applications for Septoria spot were advised for all other counties at levels 3 and 4, as well as for Tulare and W. Riverside that were at Level 2. With additional rainfall this week, these two latter counties went to level 3 and this supports the forecasted risk and recommended fungicide applications by Jan. 21 for Tulare, W. Riverside, and other counties. San Diego County went from level 1 to 3 this week and growers should apply a second fungicide application by Jan. 28. Kern County remains at low risk and no fungicide application date has been set.

China and Korea Acreage
If citrus groves are being managed jointly to meet the China and Korean protocols, then an application of copper or a copper alternative is needed to maintain eligibility for both export markets for the counties. Fungicides listed in the GAPS for Phytophthora brown can be mixed with fungicides listed for Septoria Spot.

Also, the forecast for additional rain events over the next 10 days means that it could be difficult to make the needed applications using air-blast sprayers because grove conditions are so wet. CCQC has consulted with UC Riverside’s Dr. Jim Adaskaveg, and he is providing the following recommendations:

Preharvest –

Attempt ground applications as soon as groves can support equipment.
Use aerial applications including helicopters if ground applications are not possible. Aerial applications have been made in past high rainfall years with high success.
Fungicide such as Abound or fungicide mixtures such as a Quadris Top, Luna Sensation, and Priaxor can be used to protect fruit over extended times. This will maximize the protection of fruit. Copper can be mixed with these fungicides. Follow the labels of each fungicide.
Increase monitoring for Septoria spot and submit samples to the NAVEK lab.

Postharvest –

Postharvest sorting and grading: remove all fruit with spotting or mechanical injuries. Lots containing ice-marked fruit as shown in Category IV F-J in the GAPS should not be shipped to Korea and should be diverted to other markets.
Postharvest – sanitize fruit with sodium hypochlorite (100-200 ppm).
Use postharvest fungicides that have anti-sporulation activity on Septoria Spot such as the highest rated Graduate A+, Mentor, and TBZ (Alumni).
Fruit should be stored at 3-5°C (37°-41°F) no longer than a week after packing. Lower storage temperatures can cause injuries and exacerbate the disease.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Fungicide Applications for China

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing additional guidance on how to comply with the China export protocol.

China
Earlier this week, CCQC advised the industry that the risk of Phytophthora infections is very high in all counties except for Imperial and Eastern Riverside Counties and that fungicide applications for Phytophthora brown rot should be made by Jan. 21. Given the high probability of Phytophthora infections, it will be very difficult to extend the Jan. 21 deadline. High rainfall has reduced copper levels by 80 to 100 percent and initiated numerous infection periods in the last 6 weeks from Nov. 30.

Don’t wait for the weather to clear and orchards to dry out to attempt to make air-blast applications
Make aerial applications using a helicopter as soon as possible. Helicopter applications are preferred to fixed wing applications, because air circulation created by rotors provides better coverage that is needed lower on the tree.
Fungicide mixtures can be used such as a phosphonate fungicide (Prophyt, K-Phite, etc.) that is systemic and a persistent contact fungicide such as oxathiapiprolin (Orondis) or mandipropamid (Revus) to protect fruit over extended times. This will maximize the protection of fruit
Increase monitoring for brown rot and follow the protocol thresholds. The China protocol requires the following:
For counties other than Tulare County, Phytophthora brown rot should be monitored in the canopy 20 in (50 cm) above the ground
- If there are less than or equal to five (5) diseased fruit per acre the lot can be shipped to China
- If there are six (6) or more diseased fruit per acre the lot should not be shipped to China
For Tulare County, Phytophthora brown rot should be monitored in the canopy 20 in (50 cm) above the ground
- There is a zero threshold for any diseased fruit per acre
Fruit for export to China should only be harvested higher than 20 in (50 cm) above the ground
Don’t take chances shipping marginal fruit to China. China closed the market to all California citrus exports in 2013 because of Phytophthora brown rot interceptions on only nine containers.

An additional advisory about Septoria control measures for Korea will be sent to the industry by the end of the week.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Second Application for China and Korea

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting the industry to provide information on how to comply with the China and Korea export protocols.

China
Growers should apply a second fungicide application of either copper or approved alternatives to acreage destined for export to China in Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kern, Western Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and San Diego Counties by Jan. 21, 2023. Risk levels in these counties are currently at the highest for developing Phytophthora brown rot caused by P. syringae based on the Phytophthora-forecasting model. These District 1 and 2 counties also have locations with 81% to 100% copper removal based on total precipitation using the copper reduction model. This is another indication that these counties should apply a second fungicide application.

A second application is not needed in District 3 counties of Imperial and eastern Riverside at this time. For all counties or regions, copper applications are required for the first application to meet the China protocol, but the second preharvest application may be done using copper, phosphite (ProPhyt and others), oxathiapiprolin (Orondis), mandipropamid (Revus), or the premixture of oxathiapiprolin + mandipropamid (Orondis Ultra) based on environmental conditions. Oxathiapiprolin is the most active fungicide and provides long-lasting residual protection against Phytophthora brown rot. Additional advisories will be made if additional fungicide applications are needed.

Korea
Growers should apply a second copper or approved alternative (Quadris Top, Luna Sensation, Priaxor) fungicide application to acreage destined for export to Korea in Tulare and W. Riverside (Level 2 or yellow – moderate risk); – Fresno, Madera, and Ventura (Level 3 or pink – high risk); and – Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties (Level 4 or red – highest risk) by Jan. 21, 2022. Citrus groves in Kern and San Diego Counties are at Level 1 (low risk – green), whereas eastern Riverside and Imperial counties are at level zero according the Septoria environmental model. Applications are generally called for when Level 3 (red) is reached but more rain is forecasted in the week and thus, growers in Tulare and W. Riverside Co. (currently Level 2) should plan to apply management treatments. High rainfall occurred in District 1, but temperatures below -1 did not accumulate. Therefore, the potential for ice mark injuries was low, but infections can still occur on other types of injuries. Additional rainfall in Tulare and W. Riverside counties of approximately 0.5 to 1 inch (12-25 mm) will change the risk to level 3.

Attached for your information, are the GAPs, which include more detailed information on Septoria and Phytophthora management. An additional advisory will be made in the coming weeks if additional fungicide applications are needed for Septoria and Phytophthora brown rot.

China and Korea Acreage
If citrus groves are being managed jointly to meet the China and Korean protocols, then an application of copper or a copper alternative is needed to maintain eligibility for both export markets for the counties listed above under “China”. Fungicides list for Phytophthora brown can be mixed with fungicides listed for Septoria Spot.

Additional Information
Dr. J. E. Adaskaveg at UC Riverside is monitoring environmental conditions and is modeling disease risk for all citrus growing regions in the state. He is also monitoring 10-day forecasts and actual weather conditions to determine if additional applications are necessary in citrus growing counties/regions across the state in the coming weeks.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Taiwan Wax Carton Labeling

The California Citrus Quality has just learned that Taiwan is conducting random MRL testing and in the course of testing, they are checking the carton labeling statements. If there is any reference to wax, TFDA is asking for a declaration saying that the wax that is being used is not carnauba wax. Additionally, we understand that port authorities have detained a few more containers of apples from the Pacific Northwest that listed carnauba as wax used on the apples.

Given the possibility that cartons with a wax statement could be questioned during a random MRL test, we recommend that packers do not use any wax statement when shipping to Taiwan.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Brown Rot Control – China – Revised GAPs for Phytophthora

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing clarifying information regarding soil treatments for the control of Brown Rot for the China protocol. The good agricultural practices (GAPs) document linked here was revised to provide more specific guidance if soil treatments are made to control Brown Rot. Language was updated in the GAPs in Section I. Letter C, No. 4. as follows:

Soil applications of oxathiapiprolin, mefenoxam, and phosphonates are labeled, but are less effective against brown rot. Chemigation is discouraged since it will not cover the entire area under a tree and therefore will not prevent pathogens from splashing on to fruit during rain events. Therefore, chemigation is not advised for brown rot management, but rather for Phytophthora root rot management. If soil applications are done, a boom sprayer should be used to ensure coverage of most of the area under the tree and adjacent to the canopy edge.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Korea First Copper Application, Septoria Management, FRB Affirmation Letter – Nov. 30 Deadline

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting you to provide documents that will be needed to comply with the protocol for exports to China. The following documents describe what is needed to comply with the protocol including documentation of compliance.

Since Chinese regulators are requiring additional mitigation measures for Tulare County, there are two sets of documents. One set is for Tulare County only; the other set is for counties other than Tulare County.

The Tulare County documents should be used for Tulare County packing houses and fruit grown in Tulare County. The “other than Tulare County” documents are for packing houses and groves located outside of Tulare County. Please note that all fruit grown in Tulare County are subject to the Tulare County protocol. That means that packinghouses outside of Tulare County must meet the Tulare County protocol if they pack fruit from Tulare County. If there are symptoms from incubation, packers can bring the samples to the NAVEK lab for identification.

Attached documents include:

Standard Operating Procedures for growers – each grower who plans to ship fruit to China should sign the SOP document along with the packinghouse person who is responsible for grove compliance. Signed SOPs must be on file at packinghouses for review if asked by USDA/APHIS representatives.
Affirmation Letter for Packinghouses – each packinghouse must sign the attached affirmation letter indicating that all packinghouses that ship fruit to China agree to comply with all of the measures in the China protocol. By signing the document, packinghouses affirm that they understand the protocol and will comply.
China Phytophthora Monitoring Record – each lot that will be destined for export to China must be monitored for Phytophthora symptoms. Use of this document is not mandatory, but records must be kept on monitoring. This document is a template that can be changed to suit each individual grower or packinghouse. The format is not important, but the records must be maintained to be incompliance.
Incubation Sampling Guide – This document provides a chart that tells packinghouses how many fruit to incubate by size of grove.
Phytophthora Management Document (GAPs) – this document provides detailed information on how to control Phytophthora (Good Agricultural Practices) and monitor for Phytophthora symptoms and includes monitoring and sampling guidelines. An MRL table for fungicides used for controlling brown rot is also included.

Remember that a mandatory treatment of a registered copper fungicide must be applied following the product’s labeled instructions between October 15 and November 30 for citrus exports to China from California. This copper application can also be applied in mixtures with approved alternatives. Additional applications of copper or alternative fungicides will be based on environmental conditions. These disease forecasts will be made based on brown rot epidemiological models developed at the University of California, Riverside. CCQC and other citrus industry groups such as CCM and Sunkist will communicate any additional protective applications in early January.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Korea First Copper Application, Septoria Management, FRB Affirmation Letter – Nov. 30 Deadline

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing recommendations for control of Septoria spot caused by Septoria citri for shipments to Korea. Additionally, an affirmation letter is attached, which requires all packinghouses shipping to Korea to follow the Korea protocol, maintain records to demonstrate compliance, and maintain a signed copy of the letter at your facility for regulatory review.

This is an advisory for all California orange packinghouses in all counties regarding the first preharvest field-application of a fungicide for all orange blocks eligible to ship to Korea in the 2022/2023 season. The first field application of zinc-copper-lime or a registered alternative is required for all oranges that will be exported to Korea. The treatment should be applied between October 15 and November 30 for all California oranges including Navels and Valencias shipped to Korea. Registered alternatives such as Quadris Top^® (azoxystrobin and difenoconazole), Abound^® (azoxystrobin), and other fungicides such as Priaxor (fluxapyraxad and pyraclostrobin) or Luna Sensation (fluopyram and trifloxystrobin) are also highly effective and should be applied in November. Registered alternatives could be used in rotation with zinc-copper-lime treatments if additional applications of fungicides are needed later in the season. Note that if the lot will be considered for export to China, the China Protocol requires that the first fungicide application be a copper fungicide. Alternatives can be used for the second or third spray if needed and this program will comply with both Korea and China export protocols.

These fungicide applications are protective treatments for management of Septoria spot. Zinc-copper-lime or registered alternatives should be applied prior to winter rains. These treatments are much less effective if applied after precipitation and subsequent infection, and only the alternatives have sporulation control.

Timing of the second and third fungicide treatments will be based on the accumulation of temperatures below -1 degree C and subsequent accumulation of precipitation. Industry advisories will be made based on forecasted weather conditions and the risk assessment model developed by the University of California. Thus, additional applications during the winter and early spring may be needed depending on environmental conditions.

We are providing additional Septoria management options to minimize the number of copper applications and maintain eligibility of positive lots especially in the January to March period with additional rainfall and the need for a second or third protective fungicide treatment. Please see the attached document “Revised Septoria Procedures” that explains the options.

Attached for your information are voluntary Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) that have been developed by the citrus industry and the University of California to provide guidance on the Septoria program including sampling procedures for the Navel and Valencia Exports to Korea (NAVEK) program. The Revised NAVEK Program is also outlined and the guidelines for the first zinc-copper-lime or alternative fungicide treatments for shipments to Korea are included in the GAPs and they are attached. An MRL table for fungicides used on citrus in selected markets is presented in the GAPs. For the most current MRLs, consult the Global MRL database at www.globalmrl.com.

Additionally, we’ve attached the affirmation letter that is needed for Fuller rose beetle (FRB) compliance. All packinghouses shipping to Korea are required by APHIS to affirm that they are implementing the three requirements for FRB control. The signed letter should be kept on file at the packinghouse.

The NAVEK lab will begin accepting orange samples beginning Monday, October 24, 2022. Samples may be dropped off at the lab between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday through Thursday. When submitting samples to the NAVEK lab, please use the electronic NAVEK Sample form which can be download from CCQC’s website or accessed at https://navekform.ucr.edu Samples should be picked the same day or one day before submitting to the lab. Results can be expected 7 days after submission of the sample.

Attachments:

Description and Symptom Collection

Septoria Fungicide Tables 2022-23

Revised Septoria Procedures for NAVEK Program 2022-23

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

2022 Virtual California Citrus Workshop – Oct 20

Citrus Packinghouses & Interested Parties:

USDA/APHIS will be offering a virtual Citrus Export Workshop on Thursday, October 20 at 10:00 am. This is the same information presented by USDA/APHIS at the citrus preseason export meeting held on Thursday, October 13. If you were not able to attend the meeting last week, we invite you to listen in.

Below is the agenda and copies of the presentations to refer to. All the presentations from the citrus preseason export meetings will be posted to CCQC’s website.

2022 Virtual California Citrus Workshop Agenda

2022 Oranges to Korea

2022 Citrus to China

2022 Citrus to Vietnam

2022 Citrus to Thailand

2022 Citrus to Australia

2022 Citrus to New Zealand

The Teams invite details are below:

_______________________________________________________________________________

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 281 671 141 43
Passcode: xQwG59

Download Teams | Join on the web

Or call in (audio only)

+1 323-886-7051,,395249812# United States, Los Angeles

Phone Conference ID: 395 249 812#

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Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

2023 Citrus Shippers’ List

The California Citrus Quality Council is required to submit to USDA/APHIS a list of approved packinghouses registered to export citrus to Australia, Korea, China, Chile, Thailand and Vietnam. If your packinghouse plans to export to any of these markets this season, you must register with CCQC to be included on the 2022/23 shippers’ lists. Registration for Korea was sent in a separate email.

CCQC will send a draft of each of the shippers’ lists for your review and final approval prior to submission to USDA/APHIS.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Citrus Preseason Export Meetings – Oct 13, 2022

The California Citrus Quality Council has scheduled the citrus preseason export meetings on Thursday, October 13, 2022. The in-person meetings will be held at the Visalia Convention Center and provide an overview of the requirements and changes for our major export markets for the 2022/23 season. The morning session will begin at 10:00 am and cover Korea, China, Thailand and Vietnam. The afternoon session will start at 1:30 pm and cover Australia and New Zealand. Click on the links to see the agenda. Attendance is not mandatory, but is advised.

If you cannot attend the export meeting in Visalia, USDA/APHIS will offer a virtual citrus export workshop. The virtual meeting will cover only the material presented by USDA/APHIS at the export meeting in Visalia. A date for the virtual workshop will be announced at the October 13 preseason export meeting. Invitations to the virtual meeting will be provided through CCQC.

If you plan to export citrus to Australia, New Zealand, or Thailand, USDA/APHIS will need to certify your facility for SOS and/or ACP compliance. Phosphine chambers will also need to be recertified by USDA/APHIS. Packinghouses and fumigation chambers can begin the certification process by contacting Daniel Hamre at 661-391-1743 or [email protected].

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

2022/23 Korea Registration Form/Orange Survey – Please Reply

Citrus Packinghouses: If you plan to export citrus to Korea this season, packinghouses must register with the California Citrus Quality Council to be included on the 2022/23 shippers’ list. This is a requirement for quarantine compliance. Last year’s list is available here for your reference.

To register, please complete the registration form, disclosure statement and orange survey and return by Wednesday, September 28, 2022. If your packinghouse exports lemons or mandarins only, check the box on the survey and return with your registration form. Please fill out all areas on the registration form including selecting the county from the drop down menu. Packinghouses and importers should use the same packinghouse name to ensure the names are consistent and match the registered shippers’ list, import applications and on-line with MFDS. Any conflicting information could lead to holding shipments and delays.

CCQC will send a draft of the Korea shippers lists for your review and final approval. Once the lists are submitted to APHIS, the final lists will be posted on CCQC’s website and no revisions will be made until next season.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Save the Date: Citrus Preseason Export Meetings – October 13

The California Citrus Quality Council will hold the citrus preseason export meetings on Thursday, October 13, 2022. The in-person meetings will be held at the Visalia Convention Center and provide an overview of the requirements and changes for our major export markets for the 2022/23 season.

More details will be provided as we get closer to the date.

Advisory: Fenazaquin Lemon MRL Approved in Japan

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) has been notified by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has established an MRL of 0.4 ppm for fenazaquin (Magister®) on lemons. As a result of the establishment of the MRL, MHLW has lifted all of the enhanced residue monitoring on lemons from California industry and the packers involved in the MRL violations.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: New Import Requirements – New Zealand

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing new information about import requirements for New Zealand. Most of the requirements for New Zealand have not changed, but there are differences. Please note the difference for navel oranges below as compared to all other oranges; county-wide Sweet Orange Scab (SOS) provisions have been dropped; and New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary industries (MPI) has suspended its zero tolerance for split and cut fruit.

The new regulations are effective immediately, but MPI has provided a transition period until Monday, April 25, 2022 for final implementation.

New Additional Declarations (these will replace the old ones):

California oranges WITH a navel
“The navel oranges in this consignment were produced and prepared for export in accordance with the agreed bilateral arrangement.”
AND
“The navel oranges in this consignment were sourced from a pest-free area for Anastrepha suspensa.”

All other citrus fruit, including oranges WITHOUT a navel:
“This consignment was produced and prepared for export in accordance with the agreed bilateral arrangement.”
AND
“This consignment was sourced from a pest-free area for Anastrepha suspensa.”

Additional export requirements/guidance (to be listed in PExD):

California oranges WITH a navel

Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) is required.
State of origin must be included on the PC.
Exporters should select “navel orange” as the commodity when applying for a PC for oranges (Citrus sinensis) with a navel from California.
Required treatment: fumigation with phosphine; the schedule has not changed
Must be sourced from a pest-free area for fruit flies.
All shipments must meet the requirements listed in Appendix 1 of the “U.S. citrus to New Zealand Bilateral arrangement on import requirements.”
All fruit must be sourced from commercial production areas that use integrated pest management.
All fruit must be washed, brushed, and waxed.
Must not include flowers, leaves, roots, or any other plant parts.
Organic citrus is not eligible for export to New Zealand.
Consignments with a single, homogenous grower lot: Inspect 600 units.
Consignments with multiple grower lots: Inspect 900 units drawn proportionately from all grower lots across the consignment.

All other citrus fruit, including oranges WITHOUT a navel:

Phytosanitary Certificate (PC) is required.
State of origin must be included on the PC.
Must be sourced from a pest-free area for fruit flies.
All shipments must meet the requirements listed in Appendix 1 of the “U.S. citrus to New Zealand 2022 Bilateral arrangement on import requirements.”
All fruit must be sourced from commercial production areas that use integrated pest management.
All fruit must be washed, brushed, and waxed.
Must not include flowers, leaves, roots, or any other plant parts.
Organic citrus is not eligible for export to New Zealand.
Consignments with a single, homogenous grower lot: Inspect 600 units.
Consignments with multiple grower lots: Inspect 900 units drawn proportionately from all grower lots across the consignment.

Key changes to note:

The new “Additional Declarations” completely replace the old ones.
California oranges with and without a navel will be listed separately in PExD, making it clear that oranges with a navel have different requirements.
For exports to New Zealand, there are no longer different requirements for different California counties and there are no special requirements for sweet orange scab.
MPI has removed the zero-tolerance restriction on splits and cuts. Shipments containing split and cut fruit no longer require reconditioning and will not be rejected based on splits/cuts alone. For any shipment found to contain splits/cuts, the splits/cuts will be inspected for pests. If pests are found, that would be a regular noncompliance event for the pests, but not the splits/cuts.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: New Zealand Declarations

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing information regarding new phytosanitary certificate declarations for the New Zealand market. New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries is in the process of finalizing new import requirements for various horticultural commodities including citrus. The only substantiative change for citrus exports is a change in the phytosanitary certificate declarations. MPI suggested that they may begin requiring new declarations this week. However, the declarations have not yet been finalized. MPI has been changing its deadlines to accommodate transitions to the new requirements. APHIS has indicated that this week’s deadline might be extended. In any event, CCQC will send the industry the new declarations as soon as they are approved.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Reminder: Ethyl Formate Citrus Grower Meetings – April 26, 27 & 29

This is a reminder the California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is inviting the industry to attend an open meeting to discuss options for the use of ethyl formate and how it could be incorporated into ACP control programs or quarantine control programs. The meetings have been scheduled for April 26, 27 and 29 in Riverside, Ventura and Visalia area at the location and times below. The purpose of the meetings is to solicit input from the industry on how the industry would like to use ethyl formate. These would be roundtable discussions on the potential ways that the industry could structure the use. We are looking for ideas that would maximize the efficiency and efficacy of the use. This meeting is open to growers, PCAs, packinghouses and county officials who are interested in learning about ethyl formate and how it could be used.

Speakers will include Draslovka’s Kade McConville, who is coming from Australia, and USDA-ARS’ Spencer Walse.

Please register by Tuesday, April 12. If we don’t get enough people to register, we will need to cancel. To register provide your name, affiliation and the meeting you plan to attend.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Ethyl Formate Citrus Grower Meeting – Riverside
10:00 – 12:00 pm
Riverside Agricultural Commissioner’s Office
3403 Tenth Street, Suite 701
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 955-3045

Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Ethyl Formate Citrus Grower Meeting – Ventura
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Ventura Agricultural Commissioner’s Office
555 Airport Way, Suite E
Camarillo, CA 93010
Harvest Room
(805) 388-4343

Friday, April 29, 2022
Ethyl Formate Citrus Grower Meeting – Visalia
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Lindcove Research & Extension Center
22963 Carson Avenue
Exeter, CA 93221
(559) 592-2408
Conference Building

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Korea’s MFDS Registration Renewal of Foreign Food Facility

The California Citrus Quality Council recently became aware that Korea’s MFDS revised the Registration of a Foreign Food Facility application to include a subitem under the Food Information section. MFDS recently added a “Detailed Items” section where you select from a list of item codes for the imported product(s). The issue is that the item codes are currently only in Korean. MFDS didn’t realize there was no English translation provided and is now working to fix the problem. We anticipate the site will be updated to include the list in English in the next couple of weeks. In the interim, we wanted to provide the packinghouses who will be renewing your MFDS registration soon with the codes you need to complete this section.

1. Orange (fresh): A0500200200000034700 (#180) on the list
2. Lemons (fresh): A0500200400000034700 (#188)
3. Grapefruits (fresh): A0500200300000034700 (#183)
4. Mandarin (fresh): A0500200100000034700 (#175)

As a reminder, MFDS registration is a requirement for exports to Korea and must be renewed every two years. Each facility should be aware of your expiration date. You should renew at least seven days before the registration expires and no more than 30 days prior to the expiration date. If you do not know your packinghouse’s expiration date and need assistance in looking it up, please contact Carleen Price. CCQC has updated the step-by-step instructions for renewing your registration and can be found here.

To help you navigate the site, MFDS has provided this revised guideline: Revision of Easy-to-Understand Guide to the Registration of a Foreign Food Facility (March 2022).

Please contact Carleen Price by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Save the Date: Ethyl Formate Citrus Grower Meetings – April 26, 27 & 29

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is inviting the industry to attend an open meeting to discuss options for the use of ethyl formate and how it could be incorporated into ACP control programs or quarantine control programs. The meetings will be held on April 26, 27 and 29 in Riverside, Ventura and Visalia area at the location and times below. The purpose of the meetings is to solicit input from the industry on how the industry would like to use ethyl formate. These would be roundtable discussions on the potential ways that the industry could structure the use. We are looking for ideas that would maximize the efficiency and efficacy of the use. This meeting is open to growers, PCAs, packinghouses and county officials who are interested in learning about ethyl formate and how it could be used.

Speakers will include Draslovka’s Kade McConville and USDA-ARS’ Spencer Walse.

Please help us plan for the meetings by registering in advance of the meeting. To register please reply and provide your name, affiliation and the meeting you plan to attend.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Export Quality Problems and Claims – Response Requested

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting packinghouses and exporters to inquire about export quality-problems and claims. CCQC has received reports about an increasing incidence of quality problems and claims associated with the unexplained closure of container vents. The closed vent issues are predominantly on shipments to the Australia/New Zealand trade lanes, but other destinations may have similar arrival issues. We are requesting that packers or exporters report to CCQC specific cases where fruit arrived at export destinations in poor condition and was not the result of an obvious decay-related issue.

Please provide CCQC with the following information via email response:

Whether the vent settings and temperatures were confirmed during transloading or packinghouse departure
Depot where pre-tripping was performed
Loading terminal
Port of Departure
Name of the vessel
Shipping line
Date of departure
Port of arrival
Date of arrival
Nature of the problem
Whether the container arrived with vents closed, open or unknown
Did ocean bill of lading note temperature and vest setting?
Did ocean booking confirmation show correct temperature and vent settings?
Did the gate interchange activity report from the shipping line show temperature and vent settings?

CCQC plans to evaluate the responses and follow up with the industry or additional parties depending on the response.

Please respond by Wednesday April 6th.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Pesticide Treatment Review – Japan

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is urging all citrus exporters to review pesticide treatment records for all lots destined for Japan to ensure that there are adequate MRLs for any pesticides that might have been used on fruit exported to Japan.

Last week, Japanese regulatory officials detected a residue of fenazaquin (Magister®) that exceeded the 0.01 ppm MRL level in Japan. Citrus packers should review lots destined for Japan to specifically determine whether fenazaquin (Magister®) was used on any shipments that might be arriving in Japan and to take steps to avoid shipping lots to Japan that were treated with fenazaquin (Magister®) or other pesticides that do not have adequate MRL coverage.

An MRL of 0.01 ppm is the default MRL in Japan, set at the limit of detection, and should not be considered an adequate MRL.

Japanese officials have increased pesticide residue monitoring for all lemon exports to Japan from all packers. If another MRL violation occurs, Japanese regulatory officials will implement 100 percent test and hold on all lemon exports to Japan from all packers. The enhanced industry monitoring will be suspended after there have been 60 tests with no MRL violations. The industry should make every effort to ensure that there are no additional violations during the enhanced testing period.

CCQC is working locally and with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to communicate about compliance and the status of fruit arriving in Japan.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: Increased Residue Testing on Lemons in Japan

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) has been notified by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Tokyo that Japanese regulators will increase pesticide residue testing for all lemon imports from California. One in every three shipments will be subject to increased monitoring as a result of an MRL violation on lemons earlier this week.

If there is another violation during the enhanced monitoring period, Japanese regulators will implement a 100 percent test and hold order for all California lemon imports.

The enhanced industry monitoring will be suspended after there have been 60 tests with no MRL violations.

CCQC will coordinate with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and the packer to facilitate communication and compliance with regulatory requests.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: New Neonicotinoid Proposed Regulations

California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced several weeks ago their new proposal for regulating neonicotinoid pesticides, which includes imidacloprid (Admire Pro®) and thiamethoxam (Actara®). The new proposed regulations are available here. The new proposal is a significant improvement from the previous proposal, but the regulations still place important restrictions on the use of imidacloprid.

Some selected key provisions of the proposal:

(1) Greenhouse or enclosed nursery applications are exempt with conditions – CCQC and the California Citrus Nursery Society requested this change.

(2) An application to control a quarantine pest declared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the California Department of Food and Agriculture is exempt if the operator of the property obtains written recommendation from a licensed agricultural pest control adviser. CCQC provided extensive comments on neonicotinoid needs for ACP / HLB control.

(3) All neonicotinoid applications are prohibited during bloom.

(4) The bloom definition was harmonized with the citrus bee protection definition. – CCQC requested this change.

(5) A total maximum combined application rate of 0.422 lbs. ai/A/season may be applied provided that:
(a) Soil application rate must not exceed 0.25 lbs. ai/A/season; and
(b) Foliar application rate must not exceed 0.172 lbs. ai/A/season.

CDPR removed its prohibition on the use of multiple neonicotinoid active ingredients in a single season. CCQC requested this change.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: European Union MRL Issues

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing the industry with information on how to comply with pesticide residue regulations in the European Union (EU).

This spreadsheet identifies pesticides that are facing regulatory reviews and potential MRL reductions in the EU. If you export to the EU we urge you to review the list so you are aware that some commonly used pesticides in California citrus production might not have MRLs in the EU or the MRL could be significantly lower than the U.S. tolerance.

Since Minneolas are one of the most prominent varieties shipped to the EU we recommend that PCAs who manage Minneola blocks and Minneola growers pay close attention to the selection of pesticides to ensure that there are no MRL problems with EU arrivals.

The EU is conducting a review of all pesticides registered in the EU to ensure that they meet new safety guidelines that are substantively different from those in the United States and the rest of the world. This criteria makes it difficult for many pesticides to pass an EU evaluation, so many uses are being cancelled or they are no longer supported by registrants who know it is impossible to pass the reviews with the current data set.

This process is leading to the cancellation or reduction of many MRLs. We expect this process to continue with the removal and reduction of many more MRLs.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

SAVE THE DATE: CCQC Agricultural Water Webinar – March 10

The California Citrus Quality Council is pleased to announce that we will host a webinar on Thursday, March 10 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm on FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Proposed Rule on Agricultural Water. FDA’s proposal is a significant change in approach to agricultural water regulation for producers and places significant responsibility on growers to document, inspect and identify hazards and implement mitigation measures, if needed. The proposed rule includes a public comment period that extends through April 5, 2022.

Speakers will include Dr. Joy Waite-Cusic, Associate Professor Food Safety Systems from Oregon State University. Dr. Waite-Cusic will compare and contrast the current rule with the proposed rule and provide a summary of the proposed agricultural water assessment and proposed mitigation measures. She will also discuss how ag water testing fits into the proposed rule. Dr. Channah Rock, Professor and Water Quality Specialist from the University of Arizona and Dr. Linda Harris, Professor of Cooperative Extension in Microbial Food Safety from the University of California at Davis will provide instructions for commenting on the proposed rule and will share their thoughts on the implications of the proposed rule. At the end of the session time will be allotted to address any questions and concerns from stakeholders.

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance of the webinar. Questions should be sent to [email protected] by March 8 and will be addressed by the presenters at the end of the webinar.

To Join the Zoom Webinar:

CCQC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom webinar:

Topic: CCQC Agricultural Water Webinar
Time: Mar 10, 2022 01:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Webinar
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86387420358?pwd=QStRd2oyRzM4YVdqa3FPQ2pRNk9Ndz09

Meeting ID: 863 8742 0358
Passcode: 768954
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If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory – Public Meetings on Proposed Changes to Ag Water Requirements

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will be holding two virtual public meetings on February 14 and February 25, 2022 on the proposed changes to agricultural water requirements in the Produce Safety Rule. These public meetings are intended to facilitate input and support the public’s evaluation and commenting process on the proposed rule. Registration is required. The agenda for the meeting can be viewed here. To learn more about the meeting and to register, click here

Advisory: New EPA Endangered Species Act Policy

On January 11, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new policy for regulating pesticides under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Under the new policy, EPA will conduct an assessment on the impact of all new active ingredients on endangered species when it conducts its assessment for new registrations. If EPA determines, through its review, that a new pesticide is likely to adversely affect a listed species or its habitat EPA will initiate a formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service to determine how to mitigate the risk. Once the mitigations are identified, registrants will include those mitigations on new labels.

While this process is likely to generate many challenges for EPA and registrants, it will improve EPA’s compliance with ESA and largely remove its vulnerability to legal challenges. EPA has been challenged in court by environmental activists that have been consistently successful in securing court mandated deadlines for ESA reviews. In other cases, activist organizations have threatened to sue EPA to cancel registrations that have not undergone ESA reviews.

Last week, the Center for Biological Diversity threatened to sue EPA for failure to conduct ESA reviews on 300 pyrethroids. They are seeking cancellation of the registrations if EPA does not develop a plan to review a backlog of ESA reviews.

EPA’s announcement and FAQs can be found here.

CCQC will continue to monitor ESA developments and report back to the industry when more is known.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: FDA Proposes New Ag Water Regulations

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is providing information about new regulations that have been proposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will regulate how agricultural producers must manage agricultural water to ensure that it is safe.

The proposal requires the following:

Producers must conduct an annual written agricultural water assessment that must identify known or reasonably foreseeable hazards that could contaminate produce or food contact surfaces.
The written agricultural water assessment should cover the following:
- - Location
  - Nature of the water source (ground or surface)
  - Open or closed conveyance
  - Degree of protection from possible sources of contamination such as other water users, animal activity whether wild, grazing, commercial feeding lots, application of biological soil amendments or exposure from improperly treated human waste.
  - Water in relation to production practices (foliar or drip irrigation)
  - Crop characteristics (susceptibility of crop to surface adhesion or internalization of hazards)
  - Environmental conditions (heavy rains, extreme weather events)
  - Other factors (results of water testing)
The assessment would determine what action should be taken such as:
- - Discontinuing water use
  - Increase the interval between application and harvest
  - Increase the interval between application and end of storage period
  - Treat the water
  - Transition from overhead application to drip application
  - Implement mitigation measures to address the hazard
  - If no foreseeable hazards exist producers must regularly inspect and maintain the water system and no less than once per year.
Conduct routine maintenance on agricultural water systems within the control of the producer
Producers must maintain records of the following:
- - Findings from inspections
  - Written agricultural water assessment
  - Scientific data to support use of another indicator organism besides generic E. coli for water testing if used
  - Scientific data to support the frequency of water testing
  - Documentation of the results of all analytical tests for the purpose of compliance with the rule
  - Annual documentation of certificates of compliance from public water systems if used
  - Documentation if applicable to time intervals for harvest and storage if used as mitigation measure
  - Documentation of the adequacy of a treatment if used as a mitigation measure
  - Documentation of results of water treatment monitoring if used

FDA’s proposal is a significant change in approach to agricultural water regulation for producers. The regulation places significant responsibility on growers to identify hazards and to mitigate those hazards. The proposal replaces a complex testing protocol that FDA admits was unwieldy and impractical for growers to implement. Testing is still an important element of the proposed policy, but the rigid testing requirements have been replaced by a different approach to minimizing food related illness.

FDA is relying on growers to evaluate their unique local conditions and providing growers the freedom to respond accordingly. Nevertheless, the proposed rule establishes substantial new responsibility on growers to document, inspect and monitor local conditions to ensure that the water they use is safe. Additionally, more than ever, FDA is drawing attention to the relationship between animals and unsafe water conditions.

FDA is proposing that the Final Rule be effective 60 days after the date of publication of the Final Rule. Comments on the proposal are due on April 5, 2022.

More specific information about the rule can be found on FDA’s website here.

An FDA agricultural fact sheet can be viewed here.

FDA plans to hold two video conference meetings to discuss the proposed rule. You can register to participate in these public meetings here.

CCQC plans to consult with members of the industry to develop comments to the proposed rule.

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.

Advisory: APHIS Moves to Plain-Paper Phytos

The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting the industry with information about APHIS’ new policy to print phytosanitary certificates on plain paper.

Starting Jan 1, 2022, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) started its transition to issuance of phytos for export and re-export on plain paper. APHIS plans to recall PCIT security paper from packinghouses, so phytos should now be printed on plain paper.

Plain-paper phytos will still include markings that will indicate that they are official documents including a USDA logo, North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) watermark and a QR code. If a plain-paper phyto is challenged by a trading partner it can be validated with minimal information using APHIS’ phyto validation tool which can be found at Welcome to the PCIT Certificate Viewer (usda.gov).

APHIS’ official notification of the move to plain-paper phytos can be viewed here.

APHIS is coordinating its move to plain-paper phytos as part of its transition to electronic phytos (ePhytos). The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has developed a process that allows participating countries to share phytos electronically as soon as they are issued. Participating countries that are using ePhytos do not need a paper phyto, because the phyto is transmitted to regulatory authorities when the phyto is issued at the point of origin.

However, since importers in in these countries do not receive the electronic transmission when the phyto is issued they may continue to request paper phytos. In these circumstances, PDF copies of phytos can be printed in PCIT and sent to importers via email. This would avoid the need to send paper copies of phytos via FedEx. The PCIT Certificate Viewer can also be used to validate PDF versions of phytos.

A list of countries that are accepting ePhytos can be found at USDA APHIS | Trading Partners Participating in Electronic Phytosanitary Certification (ePhyto).

Please contact Jim Cranney by telephone at (530) 885-1894 or via e-mail at [email protected] if you have questions or need additional information.