Sharwil avocados from Hawaii to the continental United States

Commercial shipments of Sharwil avocado may be moved interstate

between November 1-March 31 under the following conditions:

7CFR 318.13-20

Registration:

• Persons wishing to move Sharwil avocado must register the avocados’ place of production.

• Preparing and presenting USDA a map of the production area is required for certification.

• USDA inspectors require grove access. • Groves will be assigned production site

numbers for tracking purposes.

Grove Sanitation

• Avocado fruit and other fruit fly host material within the defined area of production must be removed from the place of production once every 7 days.

• Fallen avocado fruit may not be included in field containers of fruit brought to the packinghouse to be packed for interstate movement.

Grove Sanitation

Removal of fruit fly host material in the area of production will also

help to reduce fruit fly populations.

Trapping and Orchard Control

• Beginning at least 1 month before harvest the place of production must have a trapping system in place for Bactrocera dorsalis (OFF, or oriental fruit fly).

• McPhail traps baited with approved protein bait.

• (*Minimum of 2 traps per place of production)

Trapping

• Proper placement of traps to be demonstrated.

• Traps are to be monitored weekly and the fly catch recorded. Bait replacement is required every two weeks until end of growing period.

• Trapping records must be maintained for at least one year and provided to USDA upon request.

Orchard Control

• If Bactrocera dorsalis is detected by trapping at an actionable rate of 6 or more flies a week, (0.4 F/T/D)- control action will be required.

• GF-120 fruit fly bait will be used as spot spray throughout the place of production.

• Treatment to continue throughout the harvest period when trapping indicates 6 or more OFF/week.

Trapping and Orchard Control

• Trapping and control records will be maintained by the grower and presented to USDA as requested. Records must be kept for at least one year in case a trace back is required.

Trapping and Orchard Control

• Growers MUST maintain traps and spray GF-120 when required (by regulation and Compliance Agreements).

• Failure to properly deploy and maintain traps, and/or apply fruit fly bait as required will exclude the place of production from participating in this program.

Harvesting Requirements

Avocados may only be harvested between November 1 and March

31

Avocados must be hard ripe fruit at the mature green stage

with stems attached.

Fruit must not indent with moderate finger pressure and no

part of the fruit shall be soft.

Harvesting Requirements

Fruit will be placed in approved field boxes or containers. Each container

will bear the number of the grove.

Harvesting Requirements

The fruit must be safeguarded by an insect-proof screen or plastic tarpaulin while in field and while in transit to the packinghouse.

Harvesting Requirements

The fruit must be moved to a registered packinghouse within 12

hours of harvest.

USDA Certified Packinghouse

Insect-exclusionary packing facility authorized to accept Sharwil avocado fruit from

certified places of production.

Packinghouse Requirements

Sharwil program Packinghouse

Packing can only be performed at a registered, screened packinghouse that

maintains identity and safeguards against infestation.

Self-closing double doors are required

Designed to prevent fruit fly from entering facility.

Pest-exclusion safeguards

All opening to the outside of the packinghouse must be covered by

screening with openings of not more than 1.6 mm

Pest Exclusion Safeguards

Air Curtains

Plastic Strips

Hardware cloth over 16 mesh screen

Packinghouse size determined by scope of operation.

Must be large enough to allow for all harvested fruit to be

safeguarded.

Production Run Monitoring

Provide USDA in-line inspection table to allow for fruit inspection

and sampling.

Lighting and ventilation

Needs to be adequate to prevent worker fatigue and allow for

proper inspection.

Biometric Sampling

• Objective is to achieve 95 % confidence level of detecting suspect fruit if they occur at a 1 % level or greater.

• Suspect fruit will include fruit without stems attached, soft or overripe fruits, damaged or deformed fruits, exposed flesh, or fruits with surface pests or oviposition marks.

Biometric Sample Size

Dependent on the number of boxes packed from each grower.

300 fruits from each grower

Fruits may be inspected from different areas of the boxes.

Biometric Sampling

Fruit must be packaged in approved insect-proof packaging.

Fruit boxes must be clearly marked “Distribution limited to the

following states:

Packaging of Avocado

CO, CT, DE, DC, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT,

NE,NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, PA, RI, SD, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and

WY;DISTRIBUTION TO OTHER

STATES PROHIBITED

Container marking and identity

Nature & Quantity of contents, name and address of shipper, owner, or person shipping, name and

address of consignee, shipper’s ID mark & number; and the certification stamp of the Limited

Permit

7 CFR 318.13-3(g)

Packed within 24 hours of harvest

Packed, (inspected) taped, and sealed in approved cartons.

During the time the registered packinghouses are in use for

packing avocado for this program, the packinghouse may only

accept avocado from registered places of production.

No other activity is authorized

No other fruit or host material allowed.

If USDA finds a packinghouse is not complying, no fruit from the packinghouse

or place of production will be allowed movement to the continental US

Shipping and Distribution

• NO Sharwil avocados moved under this program may be shipped to or distributed in locations in the continental United States other than (the 32 States and D.C).

• If the means of conveyance carrying a shipment stops en route in any other State, the Sharwil avocado may not be unloaded in that State.