BigAg’s reaches are far and wide. What amazes me in this article is that nothing is said about imported fresh fruits and vegetables with viable seeds that don’t require a photosanity certificate. WAY SQUEEZE OUT THE SMALL FARMS COMMUNITY CLUBBING THEM WITH MONETARY FEES, APHIS/USDA!!! Just another example of the MONEY GRAB within the SPECIAL INTEREST COMMITTEES (CONGRESS MEMBERS). The propaganda these bozos are pushing are removing our ANCESTRAL RIGHT to freely access seed amongst one another. Monocropping, synthetic chemicals, tilling, limited food diversity and lack of crop rotation are how you KILL a society, not FEED IT!!! See comment below…
United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine
Federal Order
APHIS Amends Federal Order for Entry Requirements for Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Seeds Imported from All Countries into the United States
DA-2023-03 April 7, 2023
Effective immediately, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the entry requirements for pepper (Capsicum spp.) seeds imported from all countries to prevent the introduction of Pepper chat fruit viroid (PCFVd) and Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) into the United States.
Prior to the issuance of Federal Order DA-2023-03, APHIS regulated the imports of tomato and pepper seed for planting for six quarantine pospiviroids in Federal Order DA-2019-21: Columnea latent viroid (CLVd), Pepper chat fruit viroid (PCFVd), Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd), Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd), and Tomato planta macho viroid (TPMVd). Federal Order DA-2019-21 requires all tomato and pepper seed shipments, from all countries, be tested for the quarantine-significant pospiviroids prior to entry into the United States or be produced in a country in which these quarantine- significant pospiviroids are not known to occur.
APHIS conducted a risk assessment for the six quarantine pospiviroids. The results of the risk assessment concluded that tomato seeds are a pathway for all six pospiviroids, and pepper seeds are a pathway for PCFVd and PSTVd only.
In this Order, APHIS is updating the import requirements for pepper seeds from all countries. Pepper seeds must either be tested and found free of PCFVd and PSTVd or be produced in a country free from these two quarantine-significant pospiviroids.
Shipments of pepper seeds must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or a re-export phytosanitary certificate with one of the following additional declarations, or a combination of the two declarations addressing each of the two quarantine-significant pospiviroids:
The Capsicum spp. (pepper) seeds in the shipment have been tested and found free of the following pospiviroids: Pepper chat fruit viroid and Potato spindle tuber viroid.
OR
The Capsicum spp. (pepper) seeds in the shipment were produced in [country] where
Pepper chat fruit viroid and Potato spindle tuber viroid are not known to occur. 3
Shipments of tomato seeds must continue to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or a re-export phytosanitary certificate with one of the following additional declarations, or a combination of the two declarations addressing each of the six quarantine-significant pospiviroids:
The Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seeds in the shipment have been tested and found free of the following pospiviroids: Columnea latent viroid, Pepper chat fruit viroid, Potato spindle tuber viroid, Tomato apical stunt viroid, Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid, and Tomato planta macho viroid.
OR
Because of these import requirements, tomato and pepper seeds are not eligible for importation using a Small Lots of Seed Permit. The requirement for a phytosanitary certificate with the above additional declaration(s) applies to all pepper and tomato seeds entering the United States, including small lots of seed.
This Federal Order (DA-2023-03) will replace the previous Federal Order (DA-2019-21).
This action is necessary because APHIS has determined that the entry of quarantine-significant pospiviroids poses a serious threat to U.S. agriculture. This Federal Order is issued pursuant to the regulatory authority provided by the Plant Protection Act (PPA) of June 20, 2000, as amended Section 412(a), 7 U.S.C. 7712(a). Under the Act, the Secretary may prohibit or restrict the importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce of any plant, plant product, biological control organism, noxious weed, article, or means of conveyance, if the Secretary determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction into the United States or the dissemination of a plant pest or noxious weed within the United States. The regulatory authority provided by 7 U.S.C. 7745 allows the Secretary to issue orders to carry out this provision of the Plant Protection Act.
For additional information regarding this Federal Order, please contact Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist Indira Singh at 301-851-2020 or Indira.Singh@usda.gov.
United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine
Federal Order
APHIS Amends Federal Order for Entry Requirements for Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Pepper (Capsicum spp.) Seeds Imported from All Countries into the United States
DA-2023-03 April 7, 2023
Effective immediately, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the entry requirements for pepper (Capsicum spp.) seeds imported from all countries to prevent the introduction of Pepper chat fruit viroid (PCFVd) and Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) into the United States.
Prior to the issuance of Federal Order DA-2023-03, APHIS regulated the imports of tomato and pepper seed for planting for six quarantine pospiviroids in Federal Order DA-2019-21: Columnea latent viroid (CLVd), Pepper chat fruit viroid (PCFVd), Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd), Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd), and Tomato planta macho viroid (TPMVd). Federal Order DA-2019-21 requires all tomato and pepper seed shipments, from all countries, be tested for the quarantine-significant pospiviroids prior to entry into the United States or be produced in a country in which these quarantine- significant pospiviroids are not known to occur.
APHIS conducted a risk assessment for the six quarantine pospiviroids. The results of the risk assessment concluded that tomato seeds are a pathway for all six pospiviroids, and pepper seeds are a pathway for PCFVd and PSTVd only.
In this Order, APHIS is updating the import requirements for pepper seeds from all countries. Pepper seeds must either be tested and found free of PCFVd and PSTVd or be produced in a country free from these two quarantine-significant pospiviroids.
Shipments of pepper seeds must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or a re-export phytosanitary certificate with one of the following additional declarations, or a combination of the two declarations addressing each of the two quarantine-significant pospiviroids:
The Capsicum spp. (pepper) seeds in the shipment have been tested and found free of the following pospiviroids: Pepper chat fruit viroid and Potato spindle tuber viroid.
OR
The Capsicum spp. (pepper) seeds in the shipment were produced in [country] where
Pepper chat fruit viroid and Potato spindle tuber viroid are not known to occur. 3
Shipments of tomato seeds must continue to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate or a re-export phytosanitary certificate with one of the following additional declarations, or a combination of the two declarations addressing each of the six quarantine-significant pospiviroids:
The Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) seeds in the shipment have been tested and found free of the following pospiviroids: Columnea latent viroid, Pepper chat fruit viroid, Potato spindle tuber viroid, Tomato apical stunt viroid, Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid, and Tomato planta macho viroid.
OR
Because of these import requirements, tomato and pepper seeds are not eligible for importation using a Small Lots of Seed Permit. The requirement for a phytosanitary certificate with the above additional declaration(s) applies to all pepper and tomato seeds entering the United States, including small lots of seed.
This Federal Order (DA-2023-03) will replace the previous Federal Order (DA-2019-21).
This action is necessary because APHIS has determined that the entry of quarantine-significant pospiviroids poses a serious threat to U.S. agriculture. This Federal Order is issued pursuant to the regulatory authority provided by the Plant Protection Act (PPA) of June 20, 2000, as amended Section 412(a), 7 U.S.C. 7712(a). Under the Act, the Secretary may prohibit or restrict the importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce of any plant, plant product, biological control organism, noxious weed, article, or means of conveyance, if the Secretary determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction into the United States or the dissemination of a plant pest or noxious weed within the United States. The regulatory authority provided by 7 U.S.C. 7745 allows the Secretary to issue orders to carry out this provision of the Plant Protection Act.
For additional information regarding this Federal Order, please contact Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist Indira Singh at 301-851-2020 or Indira.Singh@usda.gov.
