Argentine lemons’ return will be lengthy process, USDA says

The USDA’s process of allowing Argentine lemons back into the United States will be lengthy and include several layers of verification, a USDA spokeswoman said.  Allowing Argentine lemons to return to the U.S. after a 15-year ban will be a lengthy process that will involve several layers of verification, a USDA spokeswoman said. Publishing the final rule on Dec. 20 was the first of several steps that must be completed before Argentina can begin shipping lemons, spokeswoman Suzanne Bond told the Capital Press. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Argentina’s National Plant Protection Organization, known by the initials SENASA for its name in Spanish, must now finalize a work plan that details the conditions Argentina must meet for every U.S.-bound shipment, she said. Additionally, SENASA will have to collect and APHIS will need to verify six months of fruit fly data. APHIS must also verify that packinghouses have met the safeguarding requirements written in the plan