USDA APHIS

APHIS Quarantines Entire State of Mississippi due to Citrus Greening

February 24, 2025 USDA APHIS

Effective immediately, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, is establishing a quarantine for the entire state of Mississippi for citrus greening (Huanglongbing; HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. APHIS is taking this action because of citrus greening detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties in Harrison County, Mississippi. 
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APHIS in Action: Navigating an Ag Clearance Crisis: How Foresight and Collaboration Saved a $10 Million Shipment

November 25, 2024 USDA APHIS

In the fast-paced world of global trade, quick thinking and solid partnerships can make all the difference. A recent incident with the marine vessel Regal Bay—carrying more than 4,500 pallets of fruit into the U.S.—is a perfect example of how strategic-thinking and collaboration can turn a potential costly disaster into a success story.   …

MSU Potato Breeder Develops New Genetically Engineered Potato

June 4, 2024 Jack Falinski, Michigan State University AgBioResearch

The Kal91.3 potato is bred from an MSU potato variety named Kalkaska. The newly developed potato can be stored in cool temperatures for long periods of time without sucrose, the compound that sugar is typically stored in potatoes as, converting into reducing sugars such as fructose and glucose. Without as many reducing sugars, off-color browning and caramelization can be minimized in the Kal91.3 potato, leading to healthier and higher-quality products, including potato chips. …

APHIS Updates Regulated Cut Flower and Greenery List

March 28, 2024 USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

APHIS has identified more than 1,000 plant taxa that are generally admissible to the United States as cut flowers and greenery (CFG). Stakeholders will now be able to query the Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) database and/or eFile to find the entry requirements for these plant taxa in the same manner they are currently able to do for other regulated plant and plant products. …

APHIS Establishes and Expands Citrus Greening Quarantine Areas in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura Counties, California

March 20, 2024 USDA APHIS

Effective immediately, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is expanding the areas quarantined for Huanglongbing (HLB; citrus greening), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, in California. APHIS is adding portions of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura Counties in California to the quarantined areas in DA-2023-19. …