SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES, PLANT QUARANTINE DIVISION 



Fiscal Year 1962 



The Plant Quarantine Division has two primary functions, both of 

 which have an important bearing on the maintenance of a strong 

 agricultural economy in the United States. These are ( l) to protect 

 our crops, forests, ornamentals, and grasslands from invasion by 

 foreign pests and to prevent the spread of such pests within the 

 country, and (2) to facilitate the marketing of American- grown 

 products abroad by inspecting and certifying exports to meet the 

 plant quarantine requirements of importing count rie s. Both of 

 these activities reached all-time highs in FY 1962, 



Protection against the entry and spread of pests is accomplished 

 by regulating the .importation and interstate movement of products 

 and articles likely to carry plant pests, and of pests as such. The 

 regulations are enforced by Plant Quarantine Inspectors, stationed 

 at major air, ocean, Great Lakes, and border ports of entry in the 

 continental United States, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, the American 

 Virgin Islands, Nassau, and Bermuda, Inspectors also work in The 

 Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and France in the 

 pre shipment clearance of bulbs destined to t h e United States, and 

 in Mexico to supervise fumigation of citrus and other fruits prior 

 to export to this country. 



Plant Quarantine Inspectors examine imported cargoes of plants 

 and plant p r o du c t s and require treatments or other safeguards, 

 when necessary, to free them from pests. Working in cooperation 

 with other Federal and State agencies, they inspect incoming planes, 

 ships, automobile s, trains, freight cars, travelers and their baggage, 

 miscellaneous nonagricultural cargoes, and other items to prevent 

 the entry of pests. Imported plant propagating material is examined 

 and treated by specially trained personnel at specially e qu ipp e d 

 inspection stations. Through a cooperative arrangement with the 

 states, certain plants are held under postentry quarantine for an 

 appropriate period for further observation. 



Prepared by 



Plant Quarantine Division 



Agricultural Research Service 



United States Department of Agriculture 



Washington 25, D. C. 



