U.S. accepts imports of Zambian baby carrots, corn

U.S. accepts imports of Zambian baby carrots, corn    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it will allow imports of baby carrots and baby corn from Zambia to enter the United States.
   The agency based its decision on a recent pest risk analysis. However, to import these commodities, requires that certain conditions are met.
   Both commodities are subject to inspection upon arrival in the United States, and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate stating the origin of the products and that they are free of quarantine pests.
   The agency also requires additional declaration for baby sweet corn stating that the commodity has been inspected and found free of Phomopis jaczewski, a fungus present in Zambia that affects corn kernels. APHIS requires a similar declaration for Zambian baby carrot shipments noting that they have been inspected and found free of Meloidogyne ethiopica, a root-knot nematode.
   To verify these statements, APHIS is requiring that the National Plant Protection Organization of Zambia or its designee perform field and packinghouse inspections during the growing season to ensure shipments are pest and disease free.