Oceania Edition
The Board of Supervisors Tuesday has approved Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner Ruben Arroyo's request for his office to remain under contract with the state to enforce regulations aimed at combating citrus greening disease.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the $751,594 agreement with the California Department of Food & Agriculture to take all necessary steps to contain and prevent spread of Asian citrus psyllid infestations, which cause greening disease, also known as Huanglonbing, or HLB. The contract will expire on Sept. 30, 2024.
The county's commercial citrus crops, spread across roughly 20,000 acres, are valued around $200 million. For the last six years, the board has maintained a local emergency declaration connected to greening disease. Last year, over 80 residential citrus trees countywide were plagued with HLB.
Source: patch.com
