Congressman Darrell Issa, District 48 | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Darrell Issa, District 48 | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) has initiated a call to action, advocating for the reinstatement of USDA pest inspections on avocados destined for U.S. importation. In a letter addressed to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Issa requested the return of essential USDA inspections that were unexpectedly halted in 2024 by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
After the cancellation of inspections in Mexico, there has been an increase in the number of destructive weevils detected in packing facilities. This has raised concerns about the possible entry of pest-infested avocados into the United States, posing a threat to California’s avocado industry, of which California is the top producer.
In his outreach, Congressman Issa was joined by Congressman Ken Calvert, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, Congressman David Valadao, and Congresswoman Young Kim. To better understand the challenges facing local growers, Issa organized an avocado and citrus industry roundtable in San Diego County to hear directly from his constituents.
The full letter regarding this issue is available for public reading.
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