Anna Eshoo: “I rise to commend Chairwoman DeLauro for her excellent work on this bill and to address a specific issue that is of…”

“I rise to commend Chairwoman DeLauro for her excellent work on this bill and to address a specific issue that is of growing importance to my constituents. This March, the light brown apple moth (LBAM), an exotic pest native to Australia, was discovered in California. The moth has been damaging to growers in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties in my district. In Santa Cruz County, nearly 6,000 moths have now been detected. This pest can affect a wide variety of plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables, and virtually any crop with a leaf is a potential host. In order to halt the spread of this pest, USDA has imposed a quarantine in California counties where the moth has been found. Growers in these counties must subject their operations to a visual inspection to demonstrate that their facilities are not infested before they can be cleared to ship produce. For growers within 1.5 miles of a confirmed discovery of the moth, each shipment must be cleared by an inspection. Canada and Mexico have also placed restrictions on the import of California products. The quarantine and restrictions are a burden on growers in my district as well as on State and county agriculture officials, but it is a burden they recognize is necessary to prevent the further spread of the light brown apple moth. What is critical is adequate Federal support and funding for the eradication and inspection effort.”