Washington, DC, USA
June 17, 2024
Subject: APHIS amends Federal Order for U.S. Imports of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and pepper (Capsicum spp.) hosts of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV)
To: State, Tribal, and Territory Agricultural Regulatory Officials
Effective June 17, 2024, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending the restrictions for the importation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and pepper (Capsicum spp.) hosts of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) by rescinding the import requirements for tomato and pepper fruit for consumption from all countries. APHIS provided stakeholders two ToBRFV pathway analyses that assessed the likelihood of introducing ToBRFV into the United States via fresh fruit for consumption and via propagative plant material, including seed. APHIS concluded fresh fruit for consumption is an unlikely pathway for the introduction of ToBRFV into tomato and pepper production areas, whereas propagative plant material remains a risk.
ToBRFV is a member of the Tobamovirus genus, which contains other economically important pathogens that infect vegetable crops, including Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). The disease caused by ToBRFV was first reported in 2014 in tomatoes in Israel and has since spread to China, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany (eradicated), Greece, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Infected tomato fruits can be unmarketable or reduced in quality, and necrosis can occur on susceptible pepper fruit.
To continue to safeguard against the introduction of ToBRFV into the United States, APHIS will maintain restrictions for the importation of tomato and pepper plant propagative material. Propagative material, including seed, is considered a high-risk pathway for the introduction of ToBRFV. Imports of plant material intended for propagation must be free from ToBRFV either based on diagnostic testing or by sourcing the material from an area free of the pest.
For additional information regarding this Federal Import Order, please contact Robert Bishop at 970-803-0078 or robert.m.bishop@usda.gov.
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