USDA Prepares Pest Risk Analysis for Importation of Fresh Japanese Melons
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is preparing a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of fresh melon with stems from Japan into the U.S. Based on the analysis, USDA is proposing to revise the existing conditions for importations of melons from Japan, which currently don't allow the importation of melons with stems and which do not authorize importation to the continental U.S. or most territories.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) received a request from the national plant protection organization of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to revise the current import requirements and allow the importation of fresh melon fruits with stems into the entire United States. If USDA approves the request, the mitigation measures developed would supersede current importation requirements for fresh cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and melon from Japan.