The American Nursery & Landscape Association was chosen as one of four industry presenters to address the 2012 Stakeholder Conference, hosted July 17 and 18 by the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and Homeland Security’s Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). APHIS and CBP are the front-line agencies responsible for inspecting and clearing passengers, cargo, and commodities arriving from abroad at ports, airports, and land border crossings. These activities are important in terms of protecting plant resources from foreign pests and diseases, but they can also challenge legal importers of plants and plant products. ANLA reflected on what is working, and what is not.

For example, on July 16, a new sampling policy took effect in the plant inspection stations overseen by APHIS. Known as the Propagative Material Release Program, it dramatically increased the intensity of inspection for plant propagative material, including unrooted cuttings of plants like poinsettias from countries in Central America and elsewhere. It is the peak season for poinsettia imports, and delays will hurt both propagators and finished product growers. The new policy quickly led to severe backlogs for highly perishable plant cuttings in the port of Miami, and generated confusion and uncertainty elsewhere.

ANLA met privately with APHIS officials during the stakeholder conference to discuss modifications to the new policy. APHIS’ goal with the new policy is to amass enough data on which plants, from which countries and importers, are most likely to harbor pests, and direct future resources based on those data. But, implementation will be postponed. Adjustments are expected, and will be worked out over the next few weeks.

Filed under: disease • pest • regulation