The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says it will use emergency funding to respond to the threats associated with growing outbreaks of exotic fruit flies.
The USDA plans to transfer $129.2 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to APHIS to directly support emergency response efforts domestically and internationally. This funding will support critical efforts in the U.S. and in buffer zones in Guatemala and Mexico to prevent the northward spread of these destructive pests, according to the agency.
Calling exotic fruit flies among the most destructive fruit and vegetable pests in the world, APHIS said it will use $129.2 million of these funds to safeguard billions of dollars in vegetable and fruit commodities by:
- Working with local, state, and international partners to eradicate exotic fruit fly outbreaks domestically and internationally to prevent the spread of these pests and protect the nation’s agriculture and U.S. trade.
- Bolstering surveillance systems to detect new incursions.
- Repairing sterile insect facilities in California and Texas and replacing essential equipment to enhance the effectiveness of the program.
APHIS said the timing of its response is crucial to prevent the spread of the invasive pests and monitor their movement to prevent future outbreaks that could impact the $14.8 billion industry and the livelihoods of countless producers and communities.
The USDA said it is working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Texas Department of Agriculture to combat outbreaks of exotic fruit flies in several counties in California and Texas.
The introduction of invasive fruit fly species into the U.S. causes economic losses from the destruction and spoiling of host commodities by larvae, costs associated with implementing control measures and loss of market share due to restrictions on shipment of host commodities, the USDA said. The extensive damage and wide host range of tephritid fruit flies can hinder agricultural diversification and trade when pest fruit fly species become established.
“Fruit flies attack more than 400 different types of plants, destroying entire crops, disrupting trade, and causing major financial losses,” Michael Watson, APHIS administrator, said in a news release. “Dedicating emergency funds to address these outbreaks means the collaborative effort to protect U.S. agriculture from this unprecedented outbreak can continue. We are reinforcing prevention measures, investing in long-term solutions like improved sterile insect facilities, and bolstering our response to detections.”
