Fresh persimmons (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) may be imported into the United States only under the conditions described in this section. These conditions are designed to prevent the introduction of the quarantine pests Colletotrichum horii B. Weir & P.R. Johnst., Cnephsia jactatana (Walker), Cryptosporiopsis actinidiae P.R. Johnst., M.A. Manning & X. Meier, Ctenopseustis herana (Felder and Rogenhofer), Ctenopseustis obliquana (Walker), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), Planotortrix excessana (Walker), Sperchia intractana (Walker), and Stathmopoda skelloni (Butler).
Operational workplan
The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of New Zealand must provide an operational workplan to APHIS detailing the activities the NPPO of New Zealand will, subject to APHIS's approval of the workplan, carry out to meet the requirements of this section. The operational workplan must include and describe the quarantine pest survey intervals and other specific requirements as set forth in this section.
Place of production requirements
All places of production that participate in the export program must be approved by and registered with the NPPO of New Zealand in accordance with the requirements of the operational workplan.
The NPPO of New Zealand or its approved designee must visit and inspect the places of production monthly beginning at blossom drop and continuing until the end of the harvest season for quarantine pests. Appropriate pest controls must be applied in accordance with the operational workplan. If the NPPO of New Zealand finds a place of production is not complying with the requirements of this section, no fruit from the place of production will be eligible for export to the United States until APHIS and the NPPO of New Zealand conduct an investigation and appropriate remedial actions have been implemented.
Packinghouse requirements
All packinghouses that participate in the export program must be approved by and registered with the NPPO of New Zealand in accordance with the requirements of the operational workplan.
During the time the packinghouse is in use for exporting persimmons to the United States, the packinghouse may only accept persimmons from registered, approved places of production and the fruit must be segregated from fruit intended for other markets.
All diseased or insect-infested fruit and fruit with surface pests must be culled either before or during packing and removed from the packinghouse. Culling must also include any damaged or deformed fruit.
Boxes or other containers in which the fruit is shipped must be marked to identify the place of production where the fruit originated and the packinghouse where it was packed.
The NPPO of New Zealand must monitor packinghouse operations to verify the packinghouses are complying with the requirements of the systems approach. If the NPPO of New Zealand finds a packinghouse is not complying with the requirements of this section, no fruit from the packinghouse will be eligible for export to the United States until APHIS and the NPPO of New Zealand conduct an investigation and appropriate remedial actions have been implemented.
Sampling
Inspectors from the NPPO of New Zealand must inspect a biometric sample of the fruit from each consignment at a rate jointly agreed upon by APHIS and the NPPO of New Zealand. The inspectors must visually inspect for quarantine pests listed in the operational workplan and must cut fruit to inspect for the Lepidoptera pests of concern when visual signs of the internal feeders are present. If quarantine pests are detected in this inspection, the consignment will be prohibited entry into the United States.
Treatment
Each consignment of persimmons must be subject to a post-harvest treatment by either:
Hot water treatment—the persimmons are held for 20 minutes in hot water at 50 ºC (122 ºF); or
Modified atmosphere treatment—the persimmons are packed in semi-permeable polymeric bags and stored at 0 ºC for a minimum of 28 days
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