APHIS
Factsheet
Plant Protection and Quarantine
July 2006
Questions and
Answers: Citrus
Nursery Grower
Compensation
On June 7, 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announced the availability of $100 million
in funding for Florida citrus canker compensation.
At the same time, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) published an interim rule
amending the citrus canker regulations to establish
provisions under which eligible commercial citrus
nurseries may, subject to the availability of funds,
receive payments for certified nursery stock destroyed
by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Con‑
sumer Services’ (FDACS) Division of Plant and Indus‑
try (DPI). The payment of these funds will reduce
the economic effects on commercial citrus nurseries
that have had their stock destroyed to control citrus
canker.
Q. Are all commercial citrus nurseries eligible
to apply for compensation for their citrus canker
losses based on the June 7, 2006, announcement?
A. Commercial citrus nurseries whose trees were
destroyed under an Intermediate Final Order (IFO)
issued by Florida DPI are eligible to apply for funding
if their citrus trees were destroyed between the dates
of September 30, 2001, and January 10, 2006. Trees
destroyed before September 30, 2001, or after Janu‑
ary 10, 2006–the date when USDA ended the citrus
canker eradication program in Florida–are not eligible
for compensation.
Q. What is a stop‑sale order and why is it not a
reasonable substitute for the IFO to get compen‑
sation for destroyed citrus trees?
A. A stop‑sale order is issued by the State, and is
similar to a federally issued Emergency Action Notifi‑
cation (EAN), which prohibits the movement of plant
material from specified locations. It is not an order to
destroy plant material. Compensation can be pro‑
vided only if an IFO was issued and the destruction of
plants was performed by or under the supervision of
Florida DPI. USDA is aware that some commercial
citrus nurseries volu