The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it recently presented the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Administrator's Award to the Cooperative European Grapevine Moth (EGVM) programme.
According to the USDA, the award recognises collaboration, creativity and outstanding contributions to the APHIS mission of protecting agriculture in the US.
The EGVM Programme received the award for successfully preventing the establishment of the European Grapevine Moth through science and regulatory-based initiatives, resulting in the protection of the US$5.7bn (E4.3bn)grape and tree fruit industry in California. The EGVM is an invasive species that targets grapes and tree fruit, among other plants.
The EGVM Program brought together representatives from APHIS, Natural Resource Conservation Service, California Department of Food and Agriculture, University of California, Fresno County and industry stakeholders, including the California Table Grape Commission.
'The table grape industry is grateful for the work of the county, state, and federal regulatory agencies in coordinating development and implementation of science-based protocols that allowed shipments to continue during quarantine and eventually resulted in the four county eradication of a dangerous pest,' explained Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission.
All those involved in the programmereceived awards, including the commission, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, Consolidated Central Valley Table Grape Pest and Disease Control District, County of Fresno and numerous other regulatory bodies and industry organisations.
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