July 3 2024 – Ottawa – Canadian Food Inspection Agency
As per the Plant Protection Regulations, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates the importation and domestic movement of fruit tree nursery stock and fresh fruit of peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, and quince into the province of British Columbia (BC). This material is considered to be a host of the Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta, OFM), and BC is the only commercial peach-growing area of North America to be free from this pest. The regulation of host material is required to protect the pest-free status of BC and maintain market access for certain fruit exports.
For fresh fruit there are currently two options available to mitigate the risk of OFM prior to movement of the material into BC, depending on the origin of the fruit:
- Fumigation of the fruit prior to movement; or
- Producing the fruit under a systems-based approach as outlined in D-99-04: Systems Approach Based Oriental Fruit Moth Certification Program.
The CFIA has been made aware of reports of BC fruit sellers sourcing fresh fruit, such as peaches from outside of the province, to supplement fruit that was lost during the extreme cold experienced this winter. The CFIA is reminding industry members that any fresh peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and quince fruit produced outside of BC must meet the applicable import or domestic movement requirements and be accompanied by either a phytosanitary certificate (import) or movement certificate (domestic), prior to being moved into BC.
Moving untreated fruit into BC represents a risk of spread and establishment of OFM into the province which may jeopardize its pest-free status. The CFIA has various means to generate, monitor and assess compliance and to respond to non-compliance. Consult the CFIA's Compliance and Enforcement Operational Policy to learn more about the CFIA's approach to compliance management.
For more information on import or domestic movement requirements for fruit or other plant commodities, please consult the following CFIA web pages, or contact your local CFIA inspection office: