United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Plant Protection and Quarantine

Importation of ‘Barhi’ Dates, Phoenix 

dactylifera, from Israel into the United States

Risk Management Document

May, 15, 2012

Plant Health Programs (PHP)

Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM)

Contact Person: Marc.Phillips@aphis.usda.gov
This document describes the risk management measures for the importation of fresh fruits of 

dates, Phoenix dactylifera L. (variety ‘Barhi’), on branches from Israel. The projected initial 

volume of dates to be exported to the United States from Israel is approximately 100 tons

(Landshut, 2002), which would fill approximately four standard, 40-foot-long shipping containers.

 

A qualitative, pathway-initiated risk assessment (PRA), “Importation of ‘Barhi’ Dates, Phoenix 

dactylifera, from Israel into the United States” (USDA, 2008), was developed by APHIS 

(Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) in support of a request from Israel to export dates 

into the United States. Entry of this commodity into the United States presents a risk of 

introduction of exotic plant pests. The PRA listed nine quarantine pests that may follow the 

pathway of commercial consignments of Israeli dates. One of the pests was rated high risk, and 

eight were rated medium risk. These pests that may follow the pathway are:

High risk pests

Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Medium risk pests

Arenipses sabella (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Asterolecanium phoenicis (Rao) (Homoptera: Asterolecaniidae)

Batrachedra amydraula (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae)

Deudorix livia (Klug) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Mauginiella scaettae Cavara (Ascomycetes)

Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Parlatoria blanchardi (Targioni Tozzetti) (Homoptera: Diaspididae)

Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)

According to the USDA guidelines for pathway initiated pest risk assessments (USDA, 2000), 

specific phytosanitary measures, supplemental to port of arrival inspection, are strongly 

recommended for pests given a ‘High’ pest risk potential and specific phytosanitary measures 

may be necessary for pests given a ‘Medium’ pest risk potential.

Standard Production and Processing Practices:

‘Barhi’ dates are harvested complete, smooth, hard, free of black mold, free of live insects and free 

of any visible insect damage; at packinghouses date bunches are washed in pure water and cleaned 

with air pressure prior to inspection. Defective fruit and branches are discarded (Hadiklaim, 2003).

Barhi date palm orchards will be registered with PPIS (Plant Protection and Inspection Services), 

the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of Israel, and are subject to inspection to ensure 

that field sanitation and control measures (including treatment with recommended 

fungicide/insecticides) at production sites. Upon request, APHIS will be allowed to monitor 

inspection and pest detection and pest mitigation practices. PPIS will ensure through appropriate 

procedures that the phytosanitary security of consignments after certification regarding 

composition, and reinfestation is maintained prior to export, which includes insect proof 
containers during transport to the United States, and box markings to identify packing facilities 

and production sites to ensure trace back. Consignments will be either held in cold storage or 

undergoing the required cold treatment while awaiting export.

Risk Management Measures:

APHIS proposes that ‘Barhi’ dates from Israel may be imported into the United States only

under the following conditions: 

1. Barhi’ dates must be imported as commercial consignments only.

2. All inspected fruits must undergo cold treatment T107-i.

3. Each consignment of fresh Barhi dates must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary

Certificate (PC) issued by the NPPO of Israel stating that the consignment has begun or 

undergone cold treatment, T 107-i, with the additional declaration stating, “The fruit in 

this consignment was inspected and found free of Mauginiella scaettae.”

4. Port of entry inspection.

Efficacy of Risk Management Measures:

Among the arthropods listed of quarantine concern in the PRA (USDA, 2008), only one, the 

Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, is rated as a ‘High risk’ pest. The cold treatment T107-i, which is required for all ‘Barhi’ date consignments from Israel, will eliminate the risk 

from this pest (USDA, 2010). This fruit fly has a wide host range and is found in southern 

Europe and west Asia, throughout Africa and South and Central America (CABI, 2002), and in 

northern Australia (Hassan, 1977). The species is of quarantine significance throughout the world, 

especially for Japan and the United States. Its presence, even as temporary adventive populations, 

can lead to severe additional constraints for export of fruits to uninfested areas in other parts of the 

world (USDA, 2008).

Among the ‘Medium risk’ pests, Arenipses sabella, Batrachedra amydraula and Deudorix livia

are lepidopterans whose larvae are easily seen. Larvae of Arenipses sabella mine the closed 

spathes, feed on unopened flowers and fruit stalks of date palms, and prevent fruit maturation 

(Hussain, 1963; Talhouk, 1991). Batrachedra amydraula damages newly formed fruits on

bunches and is effectively managed by employing good sanitary methods in orchards, such as 

removal and destruction of the dormant larvae around bases of terminal fronds, and use of 

insecticides and integrated management methods (Kaakeh, 2006). Deudorix livia larvae bore into 

the maturing fruits causing premature fruit drop (Talhouk, 1969). The lepidopteran pests are easily

controlled by application of insecticides and integrated pest management methods. 

Khamedj (inflorescence rot), caused by Mauginiella scaettae, is a disease of minor importance in 

Israel. The fungus affects mainly the inflorescence (flowers and spathe) and may be present on

strands and stalk of the inflorescence (Carpenter & Elmer, 1978). On infected tissues, the fungus 
forms a distinctive white mycelial web, which later disappears, leaving a whitish bloom of spores 

on the surface. Sanitation (removing leaves, diseased parts of inflorescences, as well as old 

flower stalks after harvest) is an efficient practice to reduce fungal infection. Fungicides are 

recommended to be applied immediately after harvest to the old flowering area of diseased

palms, as well as in early spring on the new flowering area just before the spathes emerge 

(Carpenter & Elmer, 1978). 

The remaining ‘Medium risk’ pests, the scale insects Asterolecanium phoenicis, Parlatoria 

blanchardi, and Pseudococcus cryptus, and the mite Oligonychus afrasiaticus, are external feeders. 

The standard processing practices for all fresh ‘Barhi’ dates on branches to be washed with water 

and cleaned by air pressure will eliminate the surface pests. Any damaged fruits present will also 

be culled during the inspection process. All of the risk mitigations for the medium risk pests will 

be implemented in Israel prior to shipping.

Summary:

Currently, Phoenix dactylifera var. ‘Barhi,’ is enterable into the United States only from Mexico . 

The requirement for each consignment to undergo specific mitigation measures diminishes the 

likelihood of quarantine pests following the pathway. Only one quarantine pest, the 

Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), is listed as having a ‘high’ overall pest risk potential. 

This insect is mitigated by ensuring that all consignments undergo the cold treatment schedule T 

107-i, prior to arrival in the United States. The other quarantine pests that are of ‘medium’ risk

potential are controlled by field sanitary measures and by inspection of the commodity prior to 

packing.

The importation of ‘Barhi’ dates from Israel will be restricted to commercial consignments only.

The requirement of a phytosanitary certificate from the NPPO of Israel will document that the 

importation is a product of Israel and it has received or is in the process of receiving the required 

treatment and has been inspected and found free of the Mauginiella scaetta.

APHIS has determined that the listed risk management measures, along with the requirement of 

a phytosanitary certificate will mitigate the risk of pest introduction on fresh fruits of date

(Phoenix dactylifera var. ‘Barhi’) from Israel.

Authors:

Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D. 

Senior Risk Manager - Entomology

José R. Hernández, Ph.D.

Senior Risk Manager - Plant Pathology

References:
CABI. 2002. Crop Protection Compendium, 2002 ed. Wallingford, U.K.: CAB International 

[CD-ROM].

Carpenter, J.B. and H.S. Elmer. 1978. Pests and diseases of the date palm. USDA Agric. 

Handbk. No. 527.

Hadiklaim. 2003. Barhi dates harvest, procedures and specifications. Date Growers Cooperative 

Ltd. Tel Aviv, Israel. 2 leaves

Hassan, E. 1977. Major Insect and Mite Pest [sic] of Australian Crops. Gatton, Qld.: Ento Press.

Hussain, A.A. 1963. Notes on borers of date palms in Iraq. Bull. Ent. Res. 54: 345-348.

Kaakeh, W. 2006. Management of the lesser date moth, Batrachedra amydraula, in the United 

Arab Emirates date palm plantations. Proceeding of The 2006 ESA Annual Meeting. 

Presentation # 0055.

Landshut, E. 2002. [Letter from E. Landshut, Israel Ministry of Agriculture and Rural 

Development, to E. Imai, USDA APHIS PPQ]. July 24, 2002.

Talhouk, A.S. 1969. Insects and mites injurious to crops in Middle Eastern countries. Monogr. 

Ang. Entomol. (21): 1-239.

Talhouk, A. S. 1991. On the management of the date palm and its arthropod enemies in the 

Arabian peninsula. Journal of Applied Entomology. Vol. 111 (1-5) Pages 514-520.

USDA. 2000. Guidelines for Pathway-Initiated Pest Risk Assessments, Version 5.02. USDA, 

APHIS, PPQ; http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pra/commodity/cpraguide.pdf

USDA, 2008. Importation of ‘Barhi’ Dates, Phoenix dactylifera, from Israel into the United

States. A Pathway-Initiated risk Assessment. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,

Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Analysis 

Laboratory, Raleigh, NC. 31 pp.

USDA, 2010. Treatment Evaluation Document. Amend PPQ Treatment Manual to Add a New

Cold Treatment for Fresh ‘Bahri’ Dates (Phoenix dactylifera). 3 pp.