The USDA made $8 million in emergency funding available to prevent the spread of European grapevine moth in California.
"The European grapevine moth is a significant invasive pest that has the potential to devastate California's $5.7 billion table grape, wine, raisin and other industries, as well as the hundreds-of-thousands of jobs connected to each," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The program is a great example of cooperative work between government and industry officials, and this infusion of resources should help ensure the program's future success."
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, county officials, affected industry and the University of California Cooperative Extension are cooperating closely to conduct response activities. These efforts include, among other items, outreach, surveys, quarantine enforcement and grower-led treatments.
EGVM (Lobesia botrana) is a significant pest of grapes. The moth is established in Europe, the Mediterranean, southern Russia, Japan, the Middle East, Near East and northern and western Africa. In the fall of 2009, EGVM was found in California, its first detection both in the United States and North America.
More information about APHIS' EGVM program is available online at www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/eg_moth/index.shtml.