§ 319.56-68 - Female squash flowers from Israel.

§ 319.56-68 Female squash flowers from Israel.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 83 FR 46639, Sept. 14, 2018.

Female squash flowers (Cucurbita pepo L.) may be imported into the continental United States from Israel only in accordance with this section and other applicable provisions of this subpart. These conditions are designed to prevent the introduction of the following quarantine pests: Ceratitis capitata, Dacus ciliatus, Helicoverpa armigera, and Scirtothrips dorsalis.

(a) Production site requirements.

(1) Production sites in which the female squash flowers are produced must be registered with the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Israel. Initial approval of production sites must be completed jointly by the NPPO of Israel and APHIS.

(2) The NPPO of Israel must visit and inspect the production sites. APHIS may monitor the production sites if necessary.

(3) Production sites must be inside pest-exclusionary structures (PES). The PES must have self-closing double doors. All openings, including vents, to the outside of the PES must be covered by screening with mesh openings of not more than 1.6 mm.

(b) Mitigation measures for fruit flies (C. capitata and D. ciliatus).

(1) The NPPO of Israel must set and maintain fruit fly traps with an APHIS-approved bait at a rate of one trap per hectare, with a minimum of one trap in each PES and one outside the entrance of each PES. The NPPO of Israel must check the traps every 7 days and maintain records of trap placement, trap maintenance, and captures of any fruit flies of concern. The NPPO must maintain trapping records and make the records available to APHIS upon request.

(2) Capture of a single fruit fly of concern inside a production site will immediately result in cancellation of exports to the United States from that production site. The detection of a fruit fly of concern in a consignment at the port of entry that is traced back to a production site will also result in immediate cancellation of exports to the United States from that production site. In both cases, exports from the production site in question may not resume until APHIS and the NPPO of Israel have mutually determined that the risk has been properly mitigated.

(c) Packinghouse requirements. While in use for exporting female squash flowers to the United States, the packinghouses may only accept flowers from registered production sites.

(d) Post-harvest procedures. Before being removed from the PES, harvested female squash flowers must be placed in field cartons or containers that are marked to show the official registration number of the production site. The place of production where the flowers were grown must remain identifiable from the time when the blossoms leave the production site, to the packinghouse, and through the export process.

(e) Commercial consignments. The female squash flowers may be imported in commercial consignments only.

(f) Phytosanitary certificate. Each consignment must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO of Israel with an additional declaration stating that the consignment has been inspected and found free of Ceratitis capitata, Dacus ciliatus, Helicoverpa armigera, and Scirtothrips dorsalis.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 0579-0406)

[79 FR 32434, June 5, 2014]