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SWAT bill supports SDW funding
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to help fruit growers battle an invasive species.
Introduced by Senators Gary Peters of Michigan, Mike Braun of Indiana, and Susan Collins of Maine, the Spotted Wing Abatement Trust, or SWAT, Act would create a fund for research and other efforts to reduce the spread of Spotted wing drosophila.
The fund would be managed by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and receive $6.5 million annually for five years.
Spotted wing drosophila have caused more than an estimated $700 million in economic loss per year nationally.
It affects soft-skinned fruit crops, including cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
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