Approximately $13.3 Million in Federal Funding to Help Protect California Agriculture

WASHINGTON,D.C. –California agriculture received $13,390,615 in federal money to support plant pestand disease management. Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) fought forincreases in these funds during the 2008 Farm Bill debate.

"Californiaagriculture is nearly a $40 billion business, with some of the top producingcounties in the nation located right here in our Valley," Costa said. "Federal investment in protecting our crops against harmful pests is vital toensure a vibrant agriculture economy. Early detection and inception are key tocatching pests and disease before they become wide-spread- which is bothdevastating to our growers and makes the pests more costly to eradicate in thelong run."

Pestand disease management has been a high priority for Congressman Costa. Prior topassage of the 2008 Farm Bill, Costa introduced legislation (HR667) to improvepest and disease management, much of which was incorporated into Section 10201of the Farm Bill. This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to makefunds available to help implement pest and disease management programs at theDepartment of Agriculture. USDA's Animal and Plant Health InspectionService (APHIS) is charged with executing this section. Approximately $45million was appropriated to Section 10201 to protect Americanagriculture.

Belowis a list of programs in California that received funding:

●California Expanded Pest Detection System: $6,094,198

●Grape Commodity/Lobesia botrana survey: $332,411

●PPV Survey: $177,286

●National Honeybee Survey: $55,402

●California Dog Teams for Domestic Inspection: $3,105,501

●California Lab Infrastructure: $221,607

●NORSDUC – 2nd year, Research on New/Emerging Pests of Ornamentals:$554,018

●BMPs for Phytophtora ramorum: $44,321

●Nursery Virus Certification Pilot Grape: $38,781

●Fruit flies – California: $2,770,090

Theseprojects build and preserve critical plant health safeguarding initiativesacross America. Funding will be provided to more than 50 cooperatorsincluding state departments of agriculture, universities, nonprofitorganizations and USDA agencies in support of over 200 projects. Thesestate, regional, and national projects will support the Farm Bill goals ofenhancing early plant pest detection and surveillance, threat identificationand mitigation and safeguarding nursery production.

Theresulting plan includes projects that will enhance plant pest and diseaseanalysis and survey, strengthen pest identification and technology, safeguardnursery production and increase related public outreach and education aboutthese issues. Projects include survey for pests along known riskpathways, risk assessment collaboration with states, national honeybee surveys,research on plant pest threats in the Caribbean, new diagnostic tools for plantpests and diseases, nursery audit training for state officials and outreach tohelp prevent the spread of invasive pests, among many others. USDAestimates that there may be up to 400 jobs created or supported as a result ofthis funding.