Idaho to Receive $1.47 Million in USDA Farm Bill Section 10007 Funding

Funding Supports Local Projects to Protect Agriculture and Plants from Pests and Diseases

WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $1.47 million to Idaho from Section 10007 of the 2014 Farm Bill as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing nearly $70 million in funding this year that will support 494 projects across the country.

“We are pleased to partner with Idaho to provide critical Farm Bill funds that will put innovative ideas into action and help us overcome our shared invasive pest and disease challenges,” said USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “Idaho is a critical partner in protecting U.S. agriculture. These projects will enable Idaho to protect its own resources, and, in doing so, contribute to USDA’s mission of keeping our nation’s agriculture economy healthy and strong.”

These funds will support projects covering a range of plant health and pest mitigation activities, including the following:

• $800,000 for potato cyst nematode immunity and eradication work;
• $218,000 to develop enhanced plant pest and disease identification tools for gall forming nematodes in the family Anguinidae, Bactrocera fruit flies, and Rathayibacter (a bacterium) agricultural threats;
• $145,000 to quantify the decline in inorganic bromide concentrations in plant tissue following fumigation with methyl bromide; and
• $60,000 to study the magnitude of inorganic bromide residue in cattle.
• In addition, $250,000 will be awarded to the Nez Perce Tribal Nation for their biological control effort to control invasive, noxious weeds.

USDA has funded 1,849 projects with approximately $228 million in Section 10007 funding since the 2014 Farm Bill was enacted. Collectively, these projects continue to bolster our country’s safeguarding system while allowing USDA and its partners to quickly detect and rapidly respond to invasive pests and diseases. You can view the FY 2018 spending plans on the APHIS Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/farmbill.

APHIS created the Hungry Pests public outreach program to empower Americans with the knowledge they need to leave these “hungry pests” behind. Visit www.aphis.usda.gov/pestsdiseases/hungrypests to learn more about invasive plant pests and diseases impacting your area and how you can help.