The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to amend handling requirements for imported kiwifruit and kiwifruit grown in California, it said in a notice released June 16. The proposed rule would revise size and uniformity requirements under the California kiwifruit federal marketing order for all varieties of Actinidia chinensis species kiwifruit, which is commonly known as golden kiwifruit, AMS said. Under Section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Act, imported kiwifruit must conform to the same maturity, size and grade requirements as those set by the domestic marketing order.
The Agricultural Marketing Service set its 2022-2023 fees for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, cotton and tobacco, in a notice published June 14. Covered programs include cotton classification under cotton futures legislation (7 CFR 27); cotton classing, testing and standards (7 CFR 28); grading and inspection for approved plants and standards for grades of dairy products (7 CFR 58); inspection, certification and standards for fresh fruits, vegetables and other products (7 CFR 51); processed fruits and vegetables (7 CFR 52); meats, prepared meats and meat products (7 CFR 54); livestock, meat and other agricultural commodities (7 CFR 62); agricultural and vegetable seeds (7 CFR 75); grading of shell eggs (7 CFR 56); grading of poultry and rabbit products (7 CFR 70); services and general information (7 CFR 91); and tobacco inspection (7 CFR 29). Effective dates of fee changes range from July 1, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2023, depending on the commodity.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 9 that Special Import Quota #8 for upland cotton will be established June 16, allowing importation of 11,099,187 kilograms (50,978 bales) of upland cotton, up from 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 13, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Dec. 12, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the February through April 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow importation of fresh oha leaves from Nigeria into the U.S., subject to certain phytostanitary requirements, it said in a notice published June 7. Comments are due Aug. 8.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced June 2 that Special Import Quota #7 for upland cotton will be established June 9, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Sept. 6, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Dec. 5, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 26 that Special Import Quota #6 for upland cotton will be established June 2, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 30, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 28, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to amend U.S. grade standards for pecans in the shell and shelled pecans, it said in a notice released May 31. The proposed rule would replace current grades with U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, U.S. Choice, and U.S. Standard grades. AMS also proposes to update terminology, definitions and defect scoring guides, it said. Comments on the proposed rule are due by Aug. 1.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is will allow importation of fresh avocado fruit from continental Ecuador into the continental United States, it said. Conditions for importation include a systems approach with production site registration, field sanitation, packinghouse procedures designed to exclude the quarantine pests and procedures for packing, storing and shipping the avocado fruit. Shipments must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Ecuadorean government. Imports of Ecuadorean avocados are authorized as of May 26.
All importers of earthworms will need to obtain a permit beginning July 1, and imports of earthworms for environmental release in the U.S. will be allowed only from countries free of foot-and-mouth disease, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said May 23. In addition to a PPQ 526 pest permit, earthworm importers will also need to “comply with rearing and shipping requirements,” APHIS said. “This new policy applies to all earthworm species and will help to prevent the introduction and spread of potentially harmful pests and plant and animal pathogens transmitted from imported earthworms,” it said.
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced May 19 that Special Import Quota #5 for upland cotton will be established May 26, allowing importation of 9,898,391 kilograms (45,462 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than Aug. 23, 2022, and entered into the U.S. by Nov. 21, 2022. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the January through March 2022 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.