APHIS Authorizes Fresh Carrot Imports from Republic of Korea

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is authorizing the importation of fresh carrots from the Republic of Korea into the United States.

 

On November 12, 2019, APHIS published a pest risk assessment and a risk management document for review and comment. The pest risk assessment identified pests of quarantine significance that could follow this commodity into the United States. The risk mitigation document outlined available measures to mitigate those pest risks. Based on this analysis, APHIS has determined that fresh carrots from the Republic of Korea can be safely imported into the United States under a systems approach to protect against the introduction and spread of plant pests. 

 

A systems approach is a series of measures taken by growers, packers, and shippers that minimize pest risks prior to importation into the United States. In this case, the systems approach includes place of origin restrictions, washing and disinfecting requirements, and the removal of soil and green tops. The Republic of Korea’s national plant protection organization must also inspect shipments before export and issue a phytosanitary certificate.

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.