Two organisations of state departments of agriculture have voiced concerns over a White House plan to move a key programme from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the proposed Department of Homeland Security.
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The plan will see the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) moved out of the USDA, and the members of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) and the board of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture have voted unanimously to forward a letter to President Bush expressing their concerns.
“We think it would be best to keep this valuable service where it currently is and run by the people who know the needs of US agriculture and who have served the US public so well,” said Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin.
APHIS works to protect American agriculture and the public by preventing the entry of exotic invasive pests and diseases and by monitoring and managing agricultural pests existing in the US.
“APHIS has been dealing with threats to our economy and our citizens for years by blocking such pests as Mediterranean fruit fly, citrus canker, foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease. APHIS helps provide the consistency for US having the safest food in the world,” said Commissioner Irvin. “It would be costly and disruptive to move this arm of USDA into another agency.”
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