The California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC) is contacting California citrus exporters to provide information about the conditions for the reopening of the New Zealand export market.
Attached for your information are the new requirements for shipping to New Zealand. According to APHIS, the market is open.
The requirements are extensive, so CCQC would like to draw your attention to the following:
- There is a zero-tolerance for split and cut fruit. CCQC recommends that packinghouses develop an SOP for packing fruit for New Zealand to address the split or cut fruit and packinghouse culls requirements.
- Packers may conduct precautionary phosphine treatments and no declaration is required.
- Packinghouses should consult with their harvest contractors to implement the required education regarding the removal of damaged or decayed fruit in harvest bins.
- Please note that a single detection of bean thrips in New Zealand will trigger mandatory phosphine treatments for all mandarin and orange shipments for the balance of the season.
Please contact ccqc by phone at (530) 885-1894 or via email at jcranney@ccqc.org if you have any questions or need additional information.
