Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Slotkin Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Fruit Crops from Invasive Fly Species

March 28, 2024 – Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer: Chavez-DeRemer, Slotkin Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Fruit Crops from Invasive Fly Species

Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) and Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) have introduced bipartisan legislation to help specialty crop growers prevent losses due to spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive species of fruit flies that causes damage to fruit crops like blueberries and strawberries. Specifically, the Spotted Wing Abatement Trust (SWAT) Act would fund research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop strategies to mitigate the negative effects of SWD.

“Oregon is home to over 28,000 acres of berries, and many of these growers are constantly facing the risk of devastating loss due to harmful insects like the invasive fruit fly species SWD,” Chavez-DeRemer said. “With the economic impact reaching hundreds of millions of dollars every year, it’s clear more needs to be done to protect fruit farms from these harmful pests. I’m grateful that Congresswoman Slotkin has joined me in introducing the SWAT Act, which would support the development of mitigation strategies to help prevent future losses.”

SWD is an invasive species from East Asia that has spread throughout the U.S. since 2010. The species’ impact is so severe that trade restrictions have been implemented, and many fruit buyers have zero tolerance if SWD is spotted. The USDA estimates SWD causes combined crop losses of up to 20 percent across strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and cherry crops. Nationally, it is estimated that annual economic losses from SWD are over $700 million.

The bipartisan SWAT Act would:

• Establish a fund managed by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), authorized at a rate of $6.5 million annually for five years, to research mitigation of SWD’s adverse impacts; and
  
• Require APHIS to provide oversight of the research and implementation of SWD mitigation efforts.

Reps. David Valadao (CA-22) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) are original cosponsors of the legislation.

Full text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.

Download Right Now Oregon on the Google Play Store