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APHIS Funding for New Pest Management Projects

Dan Funding, Pest Update, This Land of Ours

Funding to help new developments when it comes to plant pests. That’s today’s This Land of Ours.

funding
The Oriental Fruit Fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) is a destructive agricultural pest in many parts of the world. It is a tropical species that is widespread through much of the mainland of Southern Asia, neighboring islands, and in Africa. Oriental fruit fly was first found in Hawaii in the mid-1940s. It was found on the U.S. mainland in Florida in 2002 and 2015. It is known to attack more than 400 fruits and vegetables, including apricots, cherries, citrus, figs, peaches, pears, plums and tomatoes.
USDA/APHIS image

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) invites stakeholders to submit project suggestions for fiscal year 2023 Plant Protection Act funding. APHIS will provide $75 million in plant protection funding for these projects, including at least $7.5 million for projects under the National Clean Plant Network. The projects help to prevent, detect, and mitigate invasive plant pests and diseases. six strategic goal areas for funding projects. Those include enhancing plant pest/disease analysis and survey; targeting domestic inspection activities at vulnerable points in the safeguarding continuum; enhancing and strengthening pest identification and technology; safeguarding nursery production; conducting targeted outreach and education; and enhancing mitigation and rapid response capabilities. The open period for submitting suggestions runs through Aug. 1, 2022.

Those interested in submitting projects should visit www.aphis.usda.gov/ppa-projects to get resources and guidance, including the FY 2023 Implementation Plan, templates, help session webinar schedule, frequently asked questions, and more.

Listen to Sabrina Halvorson’s This Land of Ours program here.

APHIS Funding for New Pest Management Projects

Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.

Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.