Pa. receives federal dollars to protect agricultural products

The US Department of Agriculture this week funded $1.26 million in work that will protect Pennsylvania’s agricultural imports, exports and domestic products from pests and disease threats.  

The federal funding will complement and amplify $3.5 million in increased funding for rapid response to agricultural emergencies proposed in Governor Tom Wolf’s 2022-’23 Budget, a state Department of Agriculture statement said. 

“Pennsylvania agriculture feeds our nation, our world and our economy, contributing $132.5 billion every year and supporting more than 593,000 jobs,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Federal dollars will multiply the investments Governor Wolf proposed to protect our supply chain and infrastructure and keep Pennsylvania products moving in and out of our ports and production centers. 

 “Quickly detecting and responding to new invasive species and diseases that threaten agriculture is key to protecting our future,” Redding said. “This federal and state funding keeps our fields, farms and food safe, maintains confidence in our transported goods and keeps dollars flowing into our economy.” 

The USDA funding is part of more than $70 million awarded to 372 projects nationwide through the federal Plant Protection Act. The bulk of funds will go to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to survey diseases and pests that threaten orchards, vineyards, vegetable and nursery plants and forest products. Funding for the department’s spotted lanternfly detection dog and two Temple University research projects to predict and control the spread of the destructive pests are also among the projects. 

Pennsylvania projects funded also include wood-boring insect research by Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Museum of Natural History, two gene-based disease detection research projects by Penn State University, all of which will help detect exotic diseases in imports that threaten the state’s valuable nursery and hardwood industries. 

Wolf’s 2022-23 budget continues the governor’s commitment to agriculture by maintaining funding for the programs created under the 2019 Pennsylvania Farm Bill – an investment in agriculture to grow opportunities and resources, remove barriers to entry, and inspire future generations of leaders in the industry, the statement said.