New USDA Funding Targets California Pest Threats
California agriculture is seeing major support from USDA as new federal funding targets invasive pests, citrus disease, and threats facing specialty crop production across the state.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced more than 90 million dollars through its Plant Protection Act program to support 441 projects nationwide, including several with direct impact in California.
Among them is more than 5.6 million dollars for detector dog team training and maintenance to strengthen domestic pest detection efforts in California, Florida, and nationwide. USDA is also investing more than 2 million dollars into certified disease-free citrus planting materials to help protect nurseries and growers from costly citrus diseases.
California is also included in a more than 1.6 million dollar effort focused on improving surveys and identification technology for invasive defoliating moths, along with ongoing national honey bee surveys supported by more than 1.6 million dollars across 47 states and territories.
USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins said the investments help “safeguard U.S. agriculture, natural resources, and food security.”
