MCLEAN, Va. – Technical experts associated with the U.S. deciduous tree fruit industry today announced formation of the “Tree-Fruit Technical Advisory Council,” to address sanitary and phytosanitary issues affecting imports of apples, pears, sweet cherries and other similar tree fruits. The group, comprised mainly of individuals with doctorates in plant pathology, entomology and food science among other disciplines, will consult with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies responsible for safeguarding U.S. agricultural resources and consumers against the introduction of harmful pests and microbial contaminants.

“The ongoing liberalization of international trade in agriculture is greatly increasing the number of pathways for the potential introduction of foreign agricultural pests, including exotic and invasive insects and plant diseases,” said Tree-TAC Chairman Dr. Jim McFerson of the Washington State Tree Fruit Research Commission. “Given the economic harm these imported pests can cause American fruit growers, we must develop a more deliberative means of consulting with our government’s quarantine officials to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect against their introduction.”

Recent outbreaks of pests and disease, such as the Asian Longhorned beetle, citrus canker, plum pox virus, Mexican fruit fly and Karnal bunt, are estimated to cause in excess of $120 billion in economic damage to American agriculture annually. Specialty crop producers including apple, pear and sweet cherry growers are particularly susceptible to the introduction of harmful foreign pests due to the volume of imports, number of supplying nations and ease with which foreign producers are frequently granted access to U.S. markets.

Recent proposals to further liberalize imports of foreign tree fruit include the USDA-APHIS proposal to ease import requirements for fresh Fuji apples produced in the Republic of Korea, and an APHIS pledge to grant top priority to a pest risk assessment for imports of fresh Fuji apples grown in the People’s Republic of China. Both countries may harbor harmful insects, plant diseases and viruses that do not exist in the United States, and could pose a serious threat to U.S. tree fruit production.

While USDA has primary responsibility for safeguarding American agriculture against the introduction of foreign pests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for monitoring the safety of imported foods including pesticide residues and microbial contaminants.

“We have witnessed a virtual explosion in the frequency with which microbial pathogens are being detected,” said Dr. Robert Binkley of Knouse Foods Cooperative of Biglerville, Pa. “We are extremely interested in working with FDA to ensure that imported fresh and processed fruit products meet U.S. safety standards, which are arguably the toughest in the world.”

Christian Schlect of the Northwest Horticultural Council of Yakima, Wash., serves as the group’s secretary, while Kraig R. Naasz of the U.S. Apple Association of McLean, Va. serves as treasurer. For more information, contact Schlect at (509) 453-3193 or Naasz at (703) 442-8850.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state apple associations representing 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as nearly 500 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.