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USDA Release USDA
SUSPENDS SPANISH CLEMENTINE IMPORTS WASHINGTON,
Dec. 5, 2001--The U.S. Department of Agriculture has suspended
indefinitely the entry of clementine citrus from Spain.
This action has been taken because live Mediterranean fruit fly
larvae have been found in Spanish clementines in Louisiana, Maryland and
North Carolina. USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has banned the sale or
distribution of Spanish clementines in states where the pest could
survive: Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.
The fruit must be removed from retail shelves.
With advance approval from USDA or state agriculture officials,
the fruit may be destroyed or shipped to an approved location. The Medfly (Ceratitis capitata) is one of the world's most destructive agricultural pests, threatening more than 250 kinds of fruits, nuts and vegetables. The female Medfly attacks ripening fruit, piercing the soft skin, and laying eggs in the puncture. The eggs hatch into larvae, which feed inside the fruit pulp. The United States has no established Medfly populations, and USDA will remain vigilant in its efforts to prevent foreign introductions of this pest
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