The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending the USDA organic regulations to “clarify standards” for organic mushrooms and pet food, it said. The final rule, released Dec. 20, covers topics including “mushroom substrate composition and sourcing of mushroom spawn in organic mushroom production, composting requirements for organic mushroom production, composition and labeling requirements for organic pet food, and the use of certain synthetic substances, including taurine, in organic pet food,” AMS said. It takes effect Feb. 21, 2025, but organic operations have until Feb. 22, 2027, to comply with the new provisions.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is increasing assessments on importers and producers of watermelons under its watermelon promotion order, citing inflation. The rate hadn’t been increased since 2008, AMS said. Effective Jan. 22, assessments on importers of more than 150,000 pounds of watermelon per year will rise from 6 cents per hundredweight to 9 cents per hundredweight, a 50% increase.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is allowing imports of fresh rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia, effective Dec. 20, according to a notice. "Based on findings of pest risk analyses, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of rosemary and tarragon from Ethiopia," APHIS said. The change applies to the importation of leaves and stems of rosemary and tarragon.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting imports of animal commodities originating from or transiting through El Salvador, after detecting New World screwworm in cattle in the country, USDA announced in a news release Dec. 17.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking to remove the requirement that fruit imported from New Zealand include a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the fruit is free of the light brown apple moth (LBAM), it said in a notice.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is finalizing changes to exemptions from regulations governing imports of genetically modified plants, the agency said Nov. 12. The changes become effective Nov. 13, APHIS said in a notice.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow imports of fresh Hass avocado fruit from Guatemala, it said in a notice released Nov. 7. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds” with the importation of Guatemalan avocados, APHIS said. APHIS will begin authorizing imports of avocadoes from Guatemala Nov. 8.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service intends to allow imports of Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants from Germany and the Netherlands in approved growing media into the U.S., it said in a notice. "To be eligible for importation, plants for planting in approved growing media must be of approved plant taxa and come from a facility that is part of an approved growing media program approved by APHIS," the agency said. Such a program deploys measures described by APHIS in the notice to mitigate the risk of pest introduction. If APHIS finalizes the decision, it will allow imports of Phalaenopsis spp. orchid plants from the two countries into the U.S., subject to the phytosanitary requirements specified by the agency. Comments will be accepted through Jan. 6.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is allowing, effective Oct. 29, fresh soursop fruit from Mexico, it said in a notice. Soursop fruit (Annona muricata) is also known as guanabana. "Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh soursop fruit from Mexico," APHIS said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will allow importation of three species of dwarf maple -- Acer buergerianum, A. palmatum and A. pseudosieboldianum -- from South Korea into the U.S., subject to certain phytostanitary requirements, it said in a notice. Imports may be authorized beginning Oct. 21.