APHIS Extends Comment Period on Proposal to Overhaul Plants for Planting Import Regs

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is reopening the comment period until Jan. 30 on its proposal to restructure the regulations on imports of plants for planting. The April 2013 proposed rule would move plant-specific requirements from the regulations to the Plants for Planting Manual, which APHIS said would allow a quicker notice-based process for changing import requirements instead of the formal rulemaking process currently used. APHIS is reopening the period for comments to get input on whether to use a particular standard and how to address the risk posed when plant brokers purchase and move plants for planting after they leave their place of production and before they are exported to the U.S.