USDA Provides More than $1.9 Million to Support Projects that Protect New York Agriculture and Natural Resources

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $1.9 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. USDA is providing more than $70 million in funding this year to support 350 projects in 48 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. The Plant Protection Act Section 7721 gives USDA the authority to provide this funding.“

New York has more than 33,000 farms, which span almost 7 million acres. That’s about 20% of the state,” 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;
• $355,228 to support National Clean Plant Network projects that protect specialty crops, including grapes;
• $331,355 to conduct a box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) survey and public outreach;
• $202,240 to support the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s emerald ash borer emergency response efforts for the third year;
• $198,819 to conduct National Plant Diagnostic Network and State Diagnostician Preparedness training; and
• $146,639 to update and streamline regulatory activities needed to manage golden nematode (Globodera rostochiensis).

Since 2009, USDA has supported more than 5,170 projects and provided nearly $809 million in PPA 7721 funding. Collectively, these projects allow USDA and its partners to quickly detect and rapidly respond to invasive plant pests and diseases. These projects also enable our country to maintain the infrastructure necessary to ensure disease-free, certified plants are available to U.S. specialty crop producers.

View the fiscal year 2023 Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 spending plans on the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website: www.aphis.usda.gov/ppa-projects.

Original source can be found here.