The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $1.4 million to New York as part of a nationwide effort to strengthen the country’s infrastructure for pest detection, surveillance, and mitigation, as well as protect the U.S. nursery system. Through the authority of the Plant Protection Act Section 7721, USDA is providing more than $70 million in funding this year. These funds will support 374 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
“New York has more than 33,000 farms, which span almost 7 million acres. That’s more than 20% of the state’s land dedicated to agriculture,” said USDA Under Secretary Jenny Moffitt. “The land produces more than 40 varieties of apples and has almost 700 farmers markets. Protecting New York’s agricultural industry is critical. These projects will help protect New York’s agricultural resources, which will also protect our national food security.”
These funds will support projects covering a range of plant health and pest mitigation activities, including, but not limited to:
- $520,000 to conduct orchard, grape and stone fruit commodity surveys;
- $266,448 to support National Clean Plant Network projects that protect specialty crops, including grapes;
- $306,270 to support the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s emerald ash borer emergency response efforts for the fourth year;
- $285,298 to conduct National Plant Diagnostic Network and State Diagnostician Preparedness training;
- $190,955 to update regulatory activities for golden nematode (Globodera rostochiensis) management; and
- $172,200 for molecular research toward developing an alternative to insecticides for wood-boring insect management.
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Categories: New York, Government & Policy