Shipping Honeycrisps, SweeTangoes west forbidden
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota's apple harvest is under way, but officials warn residents who want to send Minnesota Honeycrisps and SweeTangoes west of the Rockies that their shipments might not get there.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says a resident recently tried to send a 10-pound bag of apples to a resident of California, where officials destroyed the apples before she could receive her package.
Minnesota plant protection director Geir Friiso says apples can be shipped to California, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington only if they're sent through an orchard certified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and accompanied by papers showing they're free from pests and diseases.
The five states quarantine most fruits and vegetables. Even if the package is not labeled as carrying fruit, trained dogs will alert inspectors.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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