Washington, Jun. 7 - Florida's citrus growers and processors will be barred from shipping fresh fruit, such as oranges, grapefruit and lemons, to six U.S. states under a rule aimed at preventing the spread of the destructive citrus canker, the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.
The rest of the nation would remain open to shipments, if precautions are taken, said USDA. There would be no limits on shipment of orange juice or processed products.
Florida is the No. 1 citrus state in the United States and leads in orange juice production.
USDA said it had no estimate of the impact of its rule, intended to keep Florida citrus fruit out of other citrus-growing areas, including Texas and California, two of the most populous U.S. states.
Fresh Florida citrus would be barred from Alabama, Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.