The USDA has earmarked half of its emergency fund to respond to exotic fruit fly outbreaks in California, which threaten the fresh produce industry in the state.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack approved transferring $213.3 million from the agency’s Commodity Credit Corporation to its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to directly support emergency response efforts to respond to threats associated with growing outbreaks of exotic fruit flies and New World screwworm, according to a news release.
“Increasing our response efforts to exotic fruit fly and New World screwworm outbreaks is critical to minimizing their potential impact on our nation’s agriculture and trade,” Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said in the release. “This funding will enable us to swiftly prevent both populations’ further spread before they become established and harder to eradicate.”
The USDA said $103.5 million of the emergency fund will help address known outbreaks of exotic fruit flies in California and increase preventative activities in other susceptible areas of the U.S. USDA also said APHIS will also address fruit fly incursions in areas of Guatemala and Mexico to prevent the northern spread of the Mediterranean fruit fly.
USDA’s APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture recently expanded the state’s Zeugodacus tau fruit fly quarantine in the Stevenson Ranch area of Los Angeles County, Calif. CDFA’s exotic fruit fly quarantines include the guava fruit fly, Malaysian fruit fly, Mediterranean fruit fly, Mexican fruit fly, melon fruit fly, Oriental fruit fly, Queensland Fruit Fly as well as the tau fly.
The California Fresh Fruit Association released a statement from Daniel Hartwig, president of the association, following the USDA announcement.
“CFFA is grateful to APHIS for taking a lead to address this issue on behalf of California agriculture,” Hartwig said in the statement. “This funding will increase preventive activities in areas of our state and help stop the spread of outbreaks in other regions. The exotic fruit fly is one of the most destructive pests in the world and if not eradicated, they will have a detrimental impact on California’s fresh fruit industry and with our trading partners.”
The additional $109.8 million funds will help APHIS combat New World screwworm, a devastating livestock pest that can affect any warm-blooded animal, including humans, the release said.
