APHIS expands citrus black spot quarantine in Florida

APHIS announced its widening of citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine areas in Florida's Collier, Glades, Hendry, DeSoto, and Highlands counties.
The largest increase will take place in DeSoto County, with 17 sections of the region now under quarantine, followed by the addition of nine sections in Collier, seven in Glades and Hendry, and one in Highlands.
DeSoto and Highlands are both new additions to the list, a decision that APHIS said was made because of "confirmed detections of P. citricarpa (formerly known as Guignardia citricarpa), the causal agent of CBS, during annual surveys conducted by APHIS and FDACS DPI during the 2024/2025 growing season.
For fresh fruit from CBS-quarantined areas to travel interstate, it must be processed using APHIS-approved methods and packed in commercial citrus packinghouses operating under APHIS compliance. APHIS only allows for quarantined areas' citrus fruit and leaves to be moved, and leaves are not always allowed; other parts of the citrus plant are prohibited.