The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking comment on a pest risk analysis that it has made on the risks associated with importing fresh rhizomes of wasabi, Eutrema japonicum (Miq.) Koidz. (Brassicaceae), for consumption from Indonesia into the U.S., it said in a Federal Register notice.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service collected nearly $2 million in penalties in fiscal year 2024, according to a Jan. 10 summary detailing APHIS activities last year.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is restricting imports of live animal commodities originating from or transiting through Belize, after detecting New World screwworm in cattle in the country, USDA said in a news release Jan. 7.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will be adjusting user fee rates for the costs of providing veterinary diagnostic goods and services and veterinary services for imports and exports of live animals and animal products. The new user fee rates go into effect Jan. 10, APHIS said in a Federal Register notice.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking comment on its pest risk analysis that looked at the ability to import fresh pineapple fruit (Ananas comosus) for consumption from Indonesia while also preventing the introduction of plant pests or noxious weeds. APHIS determined that one or more phytosanitary measures could be sufficient to prevent the importation of pests or noxious weeds, according to a notice. Comments on the phytosanitary measures are due by Feb. 28.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the 2025 hourly rates it will charge meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, and importers and exporters for providing voluntary, overtime and holiday inspection and identification, certification and laboratory services. Effective Jan. 12, the agency's base time rate will be $73.04, and its overtime rate $89.68. The 2024 holiday rate will be $106.32, and the laboratory rate will be $105.68. FSIS said the export application fee will be $4.83 per application, up 82 cents from last year's fee.
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is modifying how it calculates Section 8e import inspection fees, said a notice. The changes are effective Jan. 27.
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.