The following general objectives have been established to provide information and procedural guidance to California citrus growers, enabling them to avoid violations of both domestic and foreign food laws, promote the promulgation of scientifically valid and internationally uniform pesticide tolerances for citrus, and retain access to minor use chemicals essential to the citrus industry. This involves:
- Monitoring proposed and adopted pesticide regulations affecting citrus marketing throughout the world.
- Determining through field trials and laboratory analyses whether treated California citrus and citrus by-products may be expected to have residues below restrictively limited tolerances that have been or may be imposed by any importing country.
- Submitting petitions for the establishment of new residue tolerances in importing countries when and as required.
- Managing reregistration of minor crop/use compounds where manufacturers have declined to support reregistration.
- Working with the international food standards organization Codex Alimentarius and its various committees to gain systematic approval of internationally standardized residue tolerances which will provide a secure basis for the shipment of legally acceptable California citrus fruits and citrus by-products to any importing country.
- Working with industry and government to expedite registration of citrus crop protection tools.
- Relaying essential technical information and guidance to citrus growers – either directly or through their marketing organizations.