APHIS Issues Proposed Rule on the Import of Wheat from Regions Affected with Karnal Bunt
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule which would amend its regulations at 7 CFR Part 319 regarding the importation of wheat from regions affected with Karnal bunt.
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The proposed rule would also reorder the regulations and separate some of the new provisions pertaining to Karnal bunt from the existing flag smut provisions, which would remain essentially unchanged.
Proposed Rule Would Make Karnal Bunt Import Regulations Equivalent to Domestic Regulations
APHIS explains that the proposed changes (outlined below) would make its Karnal bunt-related import regulations substantively equivalent to its domestic Karnal bunt regulations, and would bring the former into compliance with international agreements to which the U.S. is a party.
According to APHIS, the proposed amendments would, among other things:
add several new definitions;
list articles that would be regulated for Karnal bunt;
list regions affected with Karnal bunt;
increase the flexibility of the regulations so that they could provide more readily for the recognition of areas where Karnal bunt is not known to occur within regions where Karnal bunt is known to be present;
describe conditions, including requirements for phytosanitary certificates, under which wheat and related articles from areas affected with Karnal bunt could be imported into the U.S.; and
specify cleaning and/or disinfection requirements for imported farm machinery, conveyances, mechanized harvesting equipment, and seed conditioning equipment that have been used to handle or store Karnal bunt-positive seed or host crops.
- written comments are due on or before May 3, 2004.
APHIS contact - Jeanne Van Dersal (301) 734-6799
APHIS proposed rule (D/N 02-057-1, FR Pub 03/03/04) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-4723.pdf
BP Note
APHIS notes that on February 7, 2003 it published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) concerning possible changes to the flag smut regulations. A recent pest risk assessment indicated that U.S. wheat would not appear to be at risk from foreign strains of flag smut if APHIS were to remove the current import prohibitions. APHIS states that it is currently reviewing public comments received in response to the ANPR and considering whether to proceed with rulemaking on flag smut. (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/14/03 news, 03021415, for BP summary of this ANPR on flag smut.)