[NAFEX] [Fwd: Importing Fig Cuttings]

Don Yellman don.yellman at webformation.com
Sat Dec 23 03:14:03 EST 2006



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Importing Fig Cuttings
Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 02:57:13 -0500
From: Don Yellman <don.yellman at webformation.com>
To: nafex-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org

Lloyd:

The U.S. Agency concerned with importation of plant material is not the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which is part of the Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare, but the APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), part of the Department of Agriculture.

Google "Aphis", and go their website, following directions to the sections concerned with importation of plant materials.  I think you will find that the fundamental requirement for legal importation of plant materials is a phytosanitary certificate from the agricultural authority of the country where the materials originate (the exporting country).

Depending on the country or countries where you plan to obtain the fig cuttings, that could be quite a task.  If you are dealing with a first-world country, such as Italy, where a reasonably capable administrative authority exists, you might be able to obtain such a certificate by working through a commercial nursery that regularly exports plant materials.  I wouldn't hazard a guess on the time and expense that might be involved with such an effort, but I very much doubt that it would be worth it.  If you have specific fig varieties from specific countries in mind, you might be better off searching for them from U.S. sources.  Collecting fig cuttings from overseas locations, then showing up at U.S. Customs with a declaration of plant materials that are not accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate will almost certainly result in the plant materials being seized.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA




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