USDA announces $1.2 million in potato nematode funds

Last week, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the allocation of funds provided by the 2014 Farm Bill designed to prevent the introduction or spread of pests and diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture and the environment. The distribution includes more than $1,175,000 in funding for 13 states to survey, contain, and/or develop management or control techniques for potato cyst nematodes and globodera nematode pests. States receiving funding include: Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The National Potato Council (NPC), as a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, worked with state partners during the 2004 Farm Bill debate to secure these vital finds to protect the future of the industry. (Source: NPC)