Eradication! Celebration! Goodbye, Fruit Fly!

In a significant victory for California agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), alongside the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and County Agricultural Commissioners, has successfully eradicated all invasive fruit fly populations from the state. In a release from the USDA, they say these achievement comes after an unprecedented 2023 outbreak that threatened over 400 species of fruits and vegetables, including key crops like oranges, grapes, and tomatoes.

USDA Under Secretary Jenny L. Moffitt highlighted the importance of this milestone, calling it a major win for California’s agricultural economy. The eradication effort targeted five species of invasive fruit flies, including the Oriental, Tau, Queensland, Mexican, and Mediterranean fruit flies, and led to the lifting of quarantines across nine counties, releasing thousands of acres of farmland from restrictions.

The success of this operation was bolstered by $103.5 million in federal funding and the deployment of advanced eradication techniques, including the release of sterile flies and the use of organic treatments.