The Ministry of Agriculture has announced a ban on fruit and vegetables from Florida and California that could host the Oriental Fruit Fly (bactrocera dorsalis) detected in June 2015 in California, and then in August 2015 and September 2015 in Miami, followed by around 165 fly captures, with Florida unleashing eradication programs in both states.
The fruit fly ban affects several imports including pears, strawberries, grapes, apples, citrus fruits, cherries, tomatoes and peaches.
The US Embassy agriculture attache was informed of the measure via MA-2015-10693 dated 14 October 2015.
The US had earlier implemented a fruit and vegetables import ban to the Dominican Republic after findings of MedFly in Punta Cana, attributed to a transhipment from Peru.