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The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services’ Division of Plant Industry (DPI) has issued important memoranda addressing two evolving pest and disease situations, the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association reported. Summaires of the memoranda are as follows:
CITRUS GREENING. Citrus greening disease – one of the most serious citrus diseases in the world – has been detected in Miami-Dade County. As a result, as of Sept. 14, DPI has quarantined and prohibited from movement out of Miami-Dade County all ornamental citrus psyllid host plant material and all citrus.
A compliance agreement is being developed in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will include recommended controls and treatments for the citrus psyllid. Once approved, these treatments will allow for citrus psyllid plant material, excluding all citrus and citrus greening disease host plants from Miami-Dade County, to be shipped within Florida and to non-citrus producing states.
| FNGLA PUSHING FOR SOUTH FLORIDA HURRICANE DISASTER RELIEF |
FNGLA is pushing very hard to secure meaningful disaster assistance for South Florida nurseries hit by Hurricane Katrina before it clobbered Louisiana and Mississippi. FNGLA has been in continuous discussions with the offices of Commissioner of Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, Governor Jeb Bush and congressional offices, including U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. To see Congressman Diaz-Balart’s letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CLICK HERE. FNGLA is also taking a lead in coordinating the congressional messages being communicated by the Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi nursery/landscape associations. |
For counties other than Miami-Dade, shipments outside Florida of all host plants of citrus psyllid are permitted except to the citrus-producing states of Arizona, California, Louisiana, Texas and Puerto Rico. If citrus greening disease is detected in additional counties, the regulations established for Miami-Dade County will be applied. Please CLICK HERE to read DPI’s official memorandum, as well as the citrus greening and citrus psyllid host plant lists.
CYCAD SCALE. DPI is advising all Texas-certified nurseries in Florida that the Texas Department of Agriculture is starting to see an increase in the number of Florida shipments of sago palms found to be infested with the Asian Cycad Scale. DPI and the Texas Department of Agriculture are asking for thorough inspections prior to shipment to ensure they are free of the cycad scale. The Texas Department of Agriculture has indicated that shipments found to be infested upon arrival will be subject to rejection including the possibility of destroying the shipped plants. Please CLICK HERE to read DPI’s official memorandum.