United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine



## Risk Management Document



## Importation of Fresh Fruits of Pomegranate ( Punica
granatum ) and Fig ( Ficus carica ) from Chile into the

Continental United States

Ver. MB2

December 15, 2009

Plant Health Programs (PHP) Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM)

Contact Person: Claudia FergusonVersion MB2 December 15, 2009 2 

### Introduction

The Chilean Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG), the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Chile, requested to export fresh figs ( Ficus carica L.) and pomegranates ( Punica

granatum L.) to the continental United States. SAG conducted Pest Risk Assessments (PRA) for fresh figs and pomegranates and provided them to APHIS in August 2004 (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, 2004). APHIS developed a PRA using the pest list in the SAG PRA, a search of the literature and APHIS pest interception records (USDA, 2007). The APHIS PRA identified two quarantine pests that are likely to be introduced into the continental United States in consignments of fresh figs or pomegranates:

Brevipalpus chilensis Baker (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) Chilean false red mite Ceratitis capitata (Wiedeman) (Diptera: Tephritidae) Mediterranean fruit fly

The PRA considered the likelihood and consequences of introducing these pests and indicated that both of these pests pose a High pest risk potential. Pests with high pest risk potential generally require measures in addition to inspection at the port of entry to mitigate risk (USDA, 2000).



### Risk Management Measures

Pest Free Area for Ceratitis capitata

APHIS currently recognizes that all of Chile except the Province of Arica and Parincota in the

extreme North of Chile as free of Mediterranean fruit fly. After completion of an eradication program, Chile has requested that APHIS recogni ze that all of Chile, including the Province of Arica and Parincota, is free of Mediterranean fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata ).

Subsequent to implementation of a public notice, APHIS will allow export of figs and pomegranates from all areas of Chile currently recognized as free of Mediterranean fruit fly. Commercial consignments must have a Phytosanita ry Certificate with an Additional Declaration

that the fruit comes from an area found free of Mediterranean fruit flies.



### Quarantine treatment for Brevipalpus chilensis

Fumigation.

Shipments of figs and pomegranates may be imported into the continental United States if the fruit is fumigated either in Chile or at the port of first arrival in the United States with methyl

bromide in accordance with T101-i-2-1 for Brevipalpus chilensis . An APHIS inspector will monitor the fumigation of the fruit and will prescribe such safeguards as may be necessary for unloading, handling, and transportation preparatory to fumigation. The final release of the fruit for entry into the United States will be conditioned upon compliance with prescribed safeguardsVersion MB2 December 15, 2009 3 and required treatment.



### Efficacy of Risk Management Measures

There are two measures discussed in this document for mitigating the pests of concern from fresh figs and pomegranates from Chile. The measures chosen for risk management on fresh figs and pomegranates from Chile are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. Summary of risk management requirements for figs and pomegranates from
Chile. Measure(s) Pests Effi cacy Methyl BromideFumigation ( T-101-i2-1) Brevipalpus chilensis, also effective against Ceratitis capitata

. Treatment manual (USDA, 2009)

Pest Free Area Ceratitis capitata must be used in conjunction with systems approach and standard industry practices or fumigation for Brevipalpus chilensis ISPM 22 (FAO, 2005)



### Summary

APHIS concludes that commercial shipments of figs and pomegranates that originate from Chile may safely be imported into the continental United States without the risk of introducing Brevipalpus chilensis and Ceratitis capitata using a combination of the mitigations listed above. Methyl Bromide treatment has been used to import 1,408,165 metric tonnes of grapes from

Chile that are infested with Brevipalpus chilensis . The current Methyl Bromide treatments are considered to be effective in mitigating risk from Brevipalpus chilensis (Castro et al., 2004; USDA, 2009).

Authors

Paul Gadh Senior Risk Manger, RPM

Walter Gould Senior Risk Manager, RPM

Reviewer

Claudia Ferguson, Regulatory Policy Specialist, RCCVersion MB2 December 15, 2009 4 5. References

Castro, D., J. Espinosa and M. Vargas. 2004. I onising radiation as a quarantine treatment for controlling Brevipalpus chilensis (ACARINA: TENUIPALPIDAE) in Thompson seedless grapes. Pp. 143 – 153 in “Irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment of food and agricultural commodities”. IAEA-TECDOC-1427. FAO. 2005. International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures. Requirements for the establishment of areas of low pest prevalence. ISPM 22. UN-FAO-IPPC, Italy. Servicio Agricola y Ganadero. 2004. Pest Risk Assessment for the Fig Fresh Fruits Entry ( Ficus

carica L.) from Chile to the USA. Servicio Agricola y Ganadero, Gobierno de Chile, Santiago, Chile. 36 pp. USDA. 2000. Guidelines for Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk Assessments. Version 5.02. USDA, APHIS, PPQ. Riverdale, MD. 30 pp. USDA. 2007. Pest Risk Assessment for Fresh Fruits of Pomegranate ( Punica granatum ) and Fig ( Ficus carica ) from Chile into the Continental United States. A Pathway Initiated Plant Pest Risk Assessment. USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Riverdale, MD. 64pp. USDA. 2009. Treatment Manual. USDA-APHIS, PPQ; http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/manuals/port/Treatment_Chapters.htm [accessed Aug. 2009].