APHIS Seeks Comment on Draft Pest Risk Assessment for the Importation of Dracaena (Dracaena spp.) for Planting from Guatemala

January 7, 2022 USDA APHIS

The Government of Guatemala has asked USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to authorize the importation of dracaena (Dracaena spp.) for planting into the United States and Territories. APHIS has drafted a pest risk assessment that describes potential pests associated with the commodity.

APHIS Seeks Comments on Draft Pest Risk Assessment for the Importation of Chrysanthemum x morifolium for Planting from Brazil

December 27, 2021 USDA APHIS

The Government of Brazil has asked USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to authorize the importation of Chrysanthemum x morifolium plants for planting into the United States and Territories. APHIS has drafted a pest risk assessment that describes potential pests associated with the commodity.

APHIS Seeks Comments On Draft Pest Risk Assessments for the Importation of Five Orchid Species for Planting From the Dominican Republic

November 16, 2021 USDA APHIS

The Government of Dominican Republic has asked USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to authorize the importation of the following species of orchid plants for planting into the United States and Territories.

Annual Facility Certification for the Minimum Sanitation Protocols for Offshore Geranium Cutting Production

October 1, 2021 USDA APHIS

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it will conduct annual certification visits in peak harvesting time to offshore facilities that wish to ship geranium (Pelargonium spp.) cuttings to the United States during 2021-2022. During these visits, APHIS will confirm that the offshore facility meets or exceeds the “Minimum Sanitation Protocols for Offshore Geranium Cutting Production.”

Conditional Extension of the Transition Deadline of the United States – Canada Greenhouse-Grown Plant Certification Program (GCP)

September 24, 2021 USDA APHIS

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have mutually agreed to conditionally extend the deadline to transition the legacy Greenhouse Certification Program to the revised program, which is called the “United States – Canada Greenhouse-Grown Plant Certification Program (GCP).” The transition deadline has changed from September 30, 2021, to December 17, 2021.