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



## Importation of Fresh Avocado, **Persea americana Miller, from Continental Spain into the United States,**  **Including Hawaii and U.S. Territories** 

# Risk Management Document

**December 12 , 2011** 

**Plant Health Programs (PHP)**  **Regulations, Permits and Manuals (RPM) Contact Person:**  **Alex Belano**Risk Mana gement Document: Importation of Avocado from Spain

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## 1. Introduction This document describes the risk management measures for the importation of fresh fruits of avocado, Persea americana Miller, from continental Spain into the enti re United States , including Hawaii and U.S. territories. T he government of Spain indicated that the quantity of avocados exported would be less than 10 containers per year (USDA, 2010). United States Code of Federal Regulations ( 7 CFR 319.56 ) authorize importation of fruits and vegetables from foreign countries into the United States. Currently , avocados from Spain are prohibited by these regulations . The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHI S) co nducted a pest risk assessment (PRA) in response a request from the Subdirection General de Sanidad Vegetal, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Spain (USDA, 20 1 0 b ). One pest of quarantine significance w as identified that could be introduced into the entire United States, including territories . This document evaluates the appropriate pest risk management measures for th is quarantine pest. 

## 2. **Quarantine Pest of Concern for fresh**  **Avocados from Spain**  The pathway - initiated pest risk assessment , “ Importation of Fresh Avocado, Persea americana Miller, from Continental Spain into the United States, i ncluding Hawaii and U.S. Territories ” , represents a baseline risk associated with the unmitigated importation of fresh avocados from Spain (USDA, 20 1 0 b ) . Ceratitis capitata Weidemann (Diptera: Tephritidae) was the onl y quarantine insect pest found that could be introduced into the entire United States, including territories, via this pathway . The pest risk potential of C. capitata is rated as **High .**  

## 3. **Risk Management Measures**  APHI S proposes that all varieties of avocado fruit ( ‘ Hass ’ and non - ‘ Hass ’ ) from Spain may be imported into the United States only under the following conditions: 1. Avocados from Spain must be imported as commercial consignments onl y. 2. All avocado orchards exporting to the United States must be located in continental Spain (excludes Canary

Island s and Bale aric Islands) and be registered with the NPPO of the country. 3. The NPPO is responsible for ensuring that growers are aware of the quarantine pest and that registered orchards use field sanitation and pest control measures . Details of measures will be included in a written agreement (e.g., operational work plan (OWP) ) approved by the NPPO and APHI S.Risk Mana gement Document: Importation of Avocado from Spain

December 12 , 2011 3 4. Avocado fruit must be harvested f rom the tree and not collected from the ground. 5. All avocados must be packed in pest exclusionary packing houses that are registered with the NPPO. Packing houses must use boxes with labels that identify the fruits’ orchard of origin and include trace - back information . 6. The avocados must be safeguarded after harvest, during packing , and until export and arrival in the United States to prevent reinfestation by the fruit fly . 7. Packing houses should not pack avocados for other countries while packing for the United States. **Non -**  **‘ Ha**  **s s**  **’ Avocados:**  1. All avocados other than Ha s s variety from registered orchards will undergo cold treatment as per the treatment schedule T107 - a prior to import to the United States. 2. Each consignment of avocados must be accompanied by a Phy tosanitary Certificate (PC) issued by the NPPO and bearing the additional declaration: “ These avocados were grown in an approved production site , and the consignment has been inspected , found free of Ceratitis capitata and subject ed to treatment T 10 7 - a”.

**‘ Ha**  **s s**  **’ Avocados:**  1. Each consignment of Hass variety avocados must be accompanied by a Phy tosanitary C ertificate (PC) issued by the NPPO and bearing the additional declaration (AD) : “ These **HASS** avocados were grown in an approved production site , and the consignment has been inspected and found free of Ceratitis capitata”. 

## 4 **. Rationale for Risk Managem**  **ent Measures** The Mediterranean fruit fly , Ceratitis capitata , has a wide geographic distribution and is found in southern Europe , 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 . It s presence, even as temporary adventive population s , can lead to severe additional constraints for export of fruits to uninfested areas in other parts of the world . Avocados are considered as one of the hosts for the Mediterranean fruit fly . However, after examining recent research conducted on Hass va riety of a vocado and Mediterranean fruit fly, APHI S has concluded that ‘ Hass ’ avocados are not hosts to Mediterranean fruit fly (USDA, 2010 a).Risk Mana gement Document: Importation of Avocado from Spain

December 12 , 2011 4 Cold treatment alone, or in combination with methyl bromide fumigation, is an accepted APHI S treatment for Ceratitis capitata in avocados (CABI, 2007). The cold treatment T - 107 - a, that is currentl y required by USDA for all avocados that are not of the Hass vari ety will ensure the kill of all C . capitata larvae. 

## S **ummary** Currently , avocados from Spain are not entera ble into the United States. T he requirement for each consignment to undergo specific mitigation measures diminishes the likelihood of quarantine pests following the pathway . Onl y one quarantine pest, the Mediterranean fruit fly , Ceratitis capitata, is lis ted in the PRA, and it is identified as a high - risk pest. This pest is mitigated by

ensuring that all avocado consignments of non - Hass variet ies undergo the cold treatment schedule T 107 - a, prior to arrival in the United States. The Hass variety of avocad o is not considered to be a host to the Mediterranean fruit fly . The requirements of a phytosanitary certificate from the NPPO of Spain for both Hass and non - Hass varieties of avocado will document that the importation is a product of Spain. A phy

tosanit ary certificate also provides phy tosanitary securit y b y requiring the NPPO to conduct inspections for pests. All port of entry

requirements described in this document are necessary for proper and effective enforcement and will be codified in the Code of F ederal Regulations (Appendix). All other operational requirements will be enforced via a written agreement, such as an operational work plan , between APHIS and the NPPO of the exporting country . 

## Author Devaiah A. Muruvanda, Ph.D. Senior Risk Manager - E ntomology USDA, APHI S, PPQ Regulations, Permits & ManualsRisk Mana gement Document: Importation of Avocado from Spain

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## 6. **References** CABI. 2002. Crop Protection Compendium, 2002 ed. Wallingford, U.K.: CAB International [CD - ROM]. CABI, 200 7 . Crop Protection Compendium. CAB International. Wallingford, United Kingdom. [CD - ROM] . Hassan, E. 1977. Major Insect and Mite Pest [sic] of Australian Crops. Gatton, Qld.: Ento Press. USDA. 2010a. Host status of ‘Hass’ avocados to Mediterranean fruit fly , Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and the South American fruit fly , An astrepha fraterculus (Wiedamann). Commodity Import Evaluation Document. December 2010. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Regulations, Permits and Manuals, Regulatory Coordi nation and Compliance, Riverdale, MD. 8pp. USDA. 2010 b . Importation of Fresh Avocado, Persea americana Miller, from Continental Spain into the United States, Including Hawaii and U.S. Territories

– A Pathway - Initiated Risk Assessment. June 2010. United St ates Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Center for Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Epidemiology and Risk Anal ys is Laboratory . Raleigh, NC. 25 pp.