USDA fears moth outbreak from New Zealand cut flower imports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has suspended imports of cut flowers and greenery from New Zealand due to recent interceptions of the light brown apple moth in shipments at U.S. ports of entry.

Effective Sept. 12, cut flowers and greenery from New Zealand grown outside of certified greenhouses or screen houses are not allowed to enter the United States until an APHIS-approved protocol is in place to ensure the flowers are free of the moth. This protocol also requires a phytosanitary certificate stating that the flowers were grown in certified greenhouses and inspected and found free of the moth, USDA said in a release on Sept. 24.

Invasive pests like the light brown apple moth pose a constant threat to U.S. agriculture and the environment -- costing the United States millions to control and eradicate each year, said Bruce Knight, USDA's undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, in a statement.

The moth is a native of Australia and is widely distributed throughout New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Caledonia. It targets nearly 2,000 kinds of plants and trees, including oaks trees, roses and strawberries.

The first light brown apple moth detection in the United States occurred in March 2007 in Alameda County, Calif. Since then, it has been identified in 11 additional counties within California. USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture are working together to eradicate the pest from California and stop its spread to other parts of the country. 

Source: American Shipper