Mexican Hass Avocado Import Program

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 319 [Docket No. 00-003-4] RIN 0579-AB27 AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations governing the importation of fruits and vegetables to increase the number of States in which fresh avocado fruit grown in approved orchards in approved municipalities in Michoacan, Mexico, may be distributed. We are also lengthening the shipping season during which the Mexican Hass avocados may be imported into the United States. We are taking this action in response to a request from the Government of Mexico and after determining that expanding the current Mexican avocado import program would present a negligible risk of introducing plant pests into the United States. EFFECTIVE DATE: November 1, 2001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Wayne D. Burnett, Senior Import Specialist, Phytosanitary Issues Management Team, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-6799. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The regulations in “Subpart—Fruits and Vegetables” ( 7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-8 ) prohibit or restrict the importation of fruits and vegetables into the United States from certain parts of the world to prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant pests, including fruit flies, that are new to or not widely distributed within the United States. Under the regulations in 7 CFR 319.56-2f …