To prevent the spread of a serious bacterial disease that infects citrus crops, United States officials are expanding two federal quarantine areas.
What’s happening?
As reported by the Fresh Fruit Portal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has expanded the citrus greening quarantines for two separate counties in Southern California.
APHIS is expanding the quarantined area in the Capistrano Beach area of Orange County by 29 square miles and the Murrieta area of Riverside County by 129 square miles. The announcement of the expansion follows the positive detection of citrus greening in plant tissue samples collected from locations in both Orange and Riverside Counties.
According to APHIS, there are currently no commercial citrus trees impacted by the expansion of the quarantined area in Orange County. However, 170 acres of commercial citrus trees have now been impacted by the citrus greening quarantine in Riverside County.
Why is the expansion of citrus greening quarantines important?
The quarantine expansions are coordinated with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. They aim to contain citrus greening by restricting the movement of citrus materials within the state, aligning with 7 CFR 301.76…