USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) authorized the importation of fresh carrots from the Republic of Korea into the U.S. The decision comes after APHIS published a pest risk assessment and a risk management document for review and comment on November 12, 2019. APHIS. The pest risk assessment identified pests of quarantine significance that could follow this commodity into the U.S. The risk mitigation document outlined available measures to mitigate those pest risks. Based on this analysis, APHIS has determined that fresh carrots from the Republic of Korea can be safely imported into the United States under a systems approach to protect against the introduction and spread of plant pests. A systems approach is a series of measures taken by growers, packers, and shippers that minimize pest risks prior to importation into the United States. In this case, the systems approach includes place of origin restrictions, washing and disinfecting requirements, and the removal of soil and green tops. The Republic of Korea’s national plant protection organization must also inspect shipments before export and issue a phytosanitary certificate. The docket with information about this decision is available in the Federal Register: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0062 California accounts for about 85% of the carrots produced in the U.S., which are produced year-round on about 70,000 acres.
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