HOUSTON – Texas officials have been aggressively monitoring professional growers and residential trees for instances of citrus canker after the disease first appeared last October. As of September, appearances of the disease prompted the state to enact three citrus canker quarantine zones.
"It's a surprise, big surprise. I never heard of that," Shahida Ahmad said.
Ahmad and her husband, Syed, spent 10 years nurturing a lemon tree in the front yard of their Fort Bend County home in the Pheasant Creek subdivision.
"Always lots of beautiful lemons," Ahmad said. "We gave them to the whole neighborhood."
Then last month the Ahmads got a knock on their door from officials with the Texas Department of Agriculture, who told the couple their lemon tree had citrus canker. The disease ruins the health of citrus trees until no fruit is produced.
The Ahmads were informed the state would have to remove their tree.
"They are full uniform, you know, covered body, gloves, everything," Ahmad said.
State officials reported finding citrus canker on several other personal trees in the Ahmad's and surrounding neighborhoods. The state also reported more than 170 trees at a nursery off FM 1464 had to be destroyed because of the disease.
Discovery of the disease prompted the state to enact a citrus quarantine zone off FM 1464 from just north of West Belfort to Old Richmond Road.
Another quarantine zone was established in June in neighborhoods near Braes Bayou after citrus canker was found in a city park.
State Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the citrus industry pumps $200 million a year into the Texas economy. Miller said citrus canker is easily spread by wind, rain, animals and lawn equipment. Miller said the disease can quickly decimate entire crops.
A third quarantine zone was established in the Valley near the town of Rancho Viejo in Cameron County.
"We're not waiting for it to get into the commercial production. We're finding it at the homeowner level and we're attacking it before it gets away from us," Miller said.
"Anytime we see a citrus tree we try to get it logged in and we inspect it for canker, for citrus greening."
Miller said a quarantine zones mean no citrus products or trees can be brought in or out of the area. Miller said the quarantine is lifted after three years of no further instances of the disease.
To read more about citrus canker and the state's efforts to stop its spread, click here.
