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| Rep. Farr Hails Emergency Funds to Fight Grapevine Moths in California |
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Congressman Farr worked closely with USDA to get the funds out and working to prevent the spread of European grapevine moth on the Central Coast
Washington, DC – Congressman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) issued the following statement on today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to release $16.922 million in emergency funding to prevent the spread of European grapevine moth (EGVM) in California:
“Agriculture is a critical economic engine on the Central Coast that produces nearly $4.5 billion in agriculture goods each year,” said Congressman Farr. “It is our responsibility to take every precaution to safeguard our local agriculture industry against possible widespread crop damage. For that reason, my office worked closely with USDA to get these funds out and working to prevent the spread of this devastating pest.”
EGVM (Lobesia botrana) is a significant pest of grapes. The moth is found in Europe, the Mediterranean, southern Russia, Japan, the Middle East, Near East and northern and western Africa. Since 1986, surveys for this pest have been conducted throughout the United States without detections. However, in the fall of 2009, EGVM was found in California, its first detection both in the United States and North America. To date, APHIS and CDFA have established quarantine areas in all or portions of Fresno, Mendocino, Merced, Napa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties to prevent the spread of EGVM.
“Invasive pests have become one of the most significant issues in California agriculture,” said Valley Farm Management President Richard Smith. “Cooperative efforts by local, state and federal government are critical to limiting the recent spread of the European Grapevine Moth in California. The USDA funding released is very important to the successful control and possible eradication of this pest whose larvae can, in fact, destroy entire crops of infested vines.”
More information about APHIS’ EGVM program is available online at www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/eg_moth/index.shtml.
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