USDA REVIEWS PROCESS FOR COMMODITY PEST-RISK ANALYSIS

   The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to make its procedures for
assessing pest risks of imported and exported commodities more efficient.
   The agency’s current pest-risk analysis process is designed to protect
the country’s plant resources from outside pests. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issues more than 5,000 permits a year for the importation of plants and plant products.
   As a member of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs and North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States is obliged to make import and export decisions based on scientific-based plant pest-risk assessments.
   USDA plans to hold a public meeting on Nov. 10 in Washington to discuss its pest-risk analysis process. Written comments will be accepted by the agency through Dec. 7.