APHIS Proposes to Allow Potato Imports from Mexico—With Conditions
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow the importation of fresh potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) from Mexico into the U.S., it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Sept. 27. The potatoes would have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach employing a combination of mitigation measures to prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant pests into the U.S., it said.
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The potatoes would have to be imported in commercial consignments, would have to be produced by a grower who's registered in a certification program, would have to be packed in registered packinghouses, be washed, cleaned, and treated with a sprout inhibitor, and be inspected after packing for quarantine pests, APHIS said. They would also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that declares that the conditions for importation have been met.
The national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Mexico would also have to provide a bilateral workplan to APHIS detailing the activities the NPPO will carry out to meet these requirements, subject to APHIS' approval, it said.
In its economic analysis, APHIS noted that in recent years, the U.S. has shifted from being a net importer to being a net exporter of fresh or chilled table potatoes. As a result, APHOS decided the action would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Comments on the proposal are due by Nov. 27 at www.regulations.gov or to Docket No. APHIS-2013-0037, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Further information: David Lamb, 301-851-2018.