United States: Israeli dates on road to import approval
With final authorization still pending, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given the initial go ahead to import freshĀ Barhi dates from Israel, theĀ Animal and Plant Health (APHIS) has announced.
APHIS has deemed the pest risk for the fruit low enough to mitigate and opened itsĀ assessment and treatmentĀ evaluation document to public comment.
As stands, APHIS has requested fiveĀ phytosanitaryĀ measures to allow import, including the inclusion of aĀ phytosanitary certificate to verify proper handling,Ā treatment for theĀ Mediterranean fruit fly and conformation toĀ commercialĀ consignments only. The fruit must also be found to be free of the pathogenĀ Mauginiella scaettae.
Following review of any submitted comments, APHIS will announce the new import status. If conclusions remain unchanged,Ā Barhi dates from Israel will be authorized for import.