US (PA): Quarantine in place due to boxwood blight

Working with leaders from the GA Department of Agriculture and The University of Georgia, GGIA helped develop a boxwood compliance agreement for Georgia growers back in 2014. The aim of the program is to provide Georgia's growers with a systematic approach based on best management practices to avoid any spread of the disease in Georgia production nurseries. The program also allows growers to insure their customers that they are producing clean, quality products.

Unfortunately, the disease continues to be a problem in the industry and Pennsylvania recently announced a quarantine in hopes of eliminating further spread. The quarantine order:

Allows for the quarantine of any property, facility, premise, place or area where boxwood blight is confirmed.
Restricts movement of any material or object that may carry or spread the fungus. This restriction applies to both inter- and intrastate movement.
Requires proper inspection of any material that would enter the commonwealth from another state. That state must certify that the shipper meets commonwealth standards before its plants are allowed to enter Pennsylvania for resale distribution.
Requires businesses within the commonwealth that can meet the requirements of the quarantine order to enter into compliance agreements with the department for clean stock production.

Click here for a copy of the quarantine order.

For more information:
Georgia Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division
Mike Evans
Mike.Evans@agr.georgia.gov