USDA approves African produce imports under new “streamlined” process

USDA approves African produce imports under new “streamlined” process

USDA approves African produce imports under new “streamlined” process

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will begin issuing its first import permits under a new “streamlined” approval process for certain fruits and vegetables from Africa.
   These permits cover peeled baby carrots and husked, silk-free baby corn from Kenya; “Ribes” species, such as currants and gooseberries, from South Africa; and peppers, eggplant and okra from Ghana.
   The new procedures were published in the July 18 Federal Register (https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-13911.htm; https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-13913.htm; https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-13914.htm; https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-13912.htm).
   “While this process continues to provide stringent protections for U.S. agriculture, it employs notices rather than lengthier rulemaking to solicit public involvement in the approval process,” the USDA said in a statement. “It is a less time-consuming approach that allows USDA plant health specialists to focus on more complex domestic and import issues.”
   Once the comment period concludes, the USDA reviews all comments and, if appropriate, a publishes a notice in the Federal Register that it will start issuing import permits for the commodity.
   For the recently approved African fruit and vegetable imports, USDA requires one or more of five phytosanitary measures to be met. These measures include port-of-entry inspection, approved post-harvest treatment, a phytosanitary certificate verifying that the commodity originated from a pest-free area, a phytosanitary certificate verifying that the commodity is free from a specified pest or pests or that the risk associated with the commodity can be mitigated through commercial practices, the USDA said.