Apple Maggot Legislation & Pesticide Levels
Apple Maggot Legislation & Pesticide Levels
I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.
Containment of the apple maggot is a top priority here in the state. This pest infests fruit on host trees in residential areas, parks, or in natural habitats where host trees occur, and poses a threat to the state’s tree fruit industry. House Bill 1889 would help orchardists better monitor and eradicate apple maggots in the Yakima County area. Representative Bruce Chandler who sponsored House Bill 1889 says the legislation would authorize a transfer of funds from the state Department of Agriculture’s Inspection Account to the Yakima District’s pest control board.
CHANDLER: We always have to make sure that certain protocols are followed by the industry and by the state Department of Agriculture to ensure that there’s no apple maggot presence in any of the fruit that is shipped to many of our customers. And the result is that from time to time, the cost of doing that goes up and down, depending upon what the conditions are for different parts of the state. This bill provided $150 thousand dollars, which is industry assessments. It’s paid by the growers.”
The measure gained unanimous approval last week in the House. It’s now awaiting a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
The Washington State Departments of Agriculture and Ecology report that pesticide concentrations have declined in several of the state’s salmon bearing streams that flow into Puget Sound and the Columbia River. Water quality data collected over the past decade in agricultural and urban watersheds showed that most pesticides showed up at concentrations below levels of concern for aquatic species. State and federal agencies use the data to evaluate the effectiveness of existing regulations, while pesticide applicators and farmers use the information as they plan their pest control programs. To view the full report visit the DOE website.
I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Ag Information Network.
