Senate Seeks Review of Citrus Import Rule

An amendment by Sen. Barbara Boxer to a bill passed on Friday by the U.S. Senate calls for more study of a USDA decision to allow Argentine lemons into this country.

Although hailed as a major victory by local citrus growers, who fear that the importation of foreign lemons could spread unknown diseases here, the appropriations bill must still be reviewed in conference committee and signed by the president before it becomes law.

Citrus lobbyists said they are bracing for a fight from the Agriculture Department, which last month approved an approach that would allow the fruit to be imported into 34 states immediately, into 10 states that border citrus producers after two years, and after four years into America’s five citrus-producing states, including California and Arizona.

“If we’re successful, prior to any fruit entering the country, there would have to be an independent and comprehensive peer review of the rules,” said Joel Nelson of the U.S. Citrus Science Council, a Santa Paula-based group formed to combat the USDA’s decision. “We believe they would say [the rules] are flawed.”

The group said it still intends to file a lawsuit next week aimed at overturning the federal decision in case the political move fails, Nelson said.