If you grow citrus in your yard you might like the idea of shipping your fruit to relatives far and wide for holiday gifts. Although this is a wonderful idea, you should know the rules for doing so. Due to the presence of citrus canker in Florida, all fruit shipped out of state must be packed by a licensed commercial packinghouse operating under a USDA compliance agreement, whether the fruit was produced in a commercial grove or in a residential yard.

The packinghouse will remove plant debris, wash, disinfect and then pack your fruit in shipping containers marked with the appropriate certification. This is done because studies have shown that fruit processed in this manner poses a minimal risk to spreading citrus canker. This helps to protect other citrus-producing areas from the unwanted “gift” of citrus canker.

Your fresh fruit gift will provide Florida “sunshine” to your gift list and help protect citrus producers!

Click here for a list of packing houses that accept home grown citrus for processing.

Click here for more information about growing citrus in your yard.

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