The leader of inspections at the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says Mother’s Day week is one of their busiest for inspecting agriculture-related imports. John Sagle is the agency’s Acting Executive Director for Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison. He tells Brownfield it is because of one primary import product. “CBP agriculture specialists work around the clock to ensure that imported flowers and plants particularly used for Mother’s Day are kept insect-free and that they’re ready for the Mother’s Day market.”
Sagle tells Brownfield the Customs and Border Patrol inspectors have screened more than a billion cut flowers and live plants for Mother’s Day alone to prevent the introduction of invasive plants and insects from spreading in the U.S.
