The United States will invest $70 million in 2024 to strengthen the prevention and control of plant pests and diseases

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will invest more than $70 million in 374 projects through the Plant Protection Act's Section 7721 program to strengthen the nation's control of plant pests and diseases, protect the nation's nursery system, and enhance pest quarantine inspection and resistance efforts. The project involves universities, state governments, tribal organizations, federal agencies and others in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

The undersecretary emphasized that these funds will provide the tools needed to protect U.S. agriculture, natural resources, and food security, and will help control invasive plant pests and diseases, protect growers, and create more export opportunities for U.S. agricultural products.

Projects funded in 2024 include: training and maintenance of agricultural plant pest quarantine teams, domestic pest detection, detection and investigation of forest pests, development and promotion of various detection tools and control methods, basic and development research related to plant protection, research and outreach funding related to invasive pest management efforts, enhancement of invasive pest identification techniques, survey and protection of boxwood and oak forests in the United States, bee survey efforts, northern bumblebee research and eradication efforts, the promotion of certified disease-free citrus growing materials that protect U.S. nurseries and growers from economic losses caused by citrus plant diseases.

Since 2009, USDA has supported more than 5,520 projects through the Plant Protection Act's Section 7721 program, providing nearly $870 million in funding support that helps USDA and its partners quickly quarantine and respond to invasive plant pests and diseases.