USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a Federal Order outlining new requirements for the importation of cut flowers from the Netherlands in order to prevent the introduction or dissemination of harmful plant pests into the U.S. Certain quarantine pests, including Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm), Mamestra brassicae (cabbage moth), Autographa gamma (Silver-Y moth), have been detected more frequently on shipments of cut flowers from the Netherlands.
APHIS will require that shipments of cut flowers from the Netherlands be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate certifying that the regulated articles have been inspected and are considered to be free from quarantine pests to prevent the introduction and establishment of the pests. A small number of specific genera of cut flowers from the Netherlands will be exempt from the phytosanitary certificate requirement which will be listed in the “Cut Flowers and Greenery” Plant Importation Manual.
The quarantine action is necessary because the Administrator of APHIS has determined that the introduction and establishment of cotton bollworm, cabbage moth, or Silver-Y moth pose a serious threat to several economically important food, fiber, fodder and horticultural crops grown in the U.S.
In order to provide the cut flower industry in the Netherlands with enough time to meet the new requirements, the presentation of foreign phytosanitary certification at U.S. ports of entry will not become mandatory until Jan. 20, 2011.
Pictured: USDA-APHIS will require that shipments of cut flowers from the Netherlands be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate certifying that the regulated articles have been inspected and are considered to be free from quarantine pests, including Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm), to prevent their introduction and establishment is the U.S.
Photo by Anthony O'Toole