Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Gary Peters (Michigan) have introduced legislation to target an the Spotted Wing Drosophila or SWD invasive species that threatens blueberries and other fruits.
The “Spotted Wing Abatement Trust Act” would fund research and mitigation of SWD, which a statement says has caused as much as a 30 percent loss in blueberry crops in blueberry producing states and has also led to large crop losses for cherry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, peach and grape farmers. In addition, farmers have also been hit with increased costs for pesticides and other pest management strategies.
Source: foxbangor.com