ISSUE 1097
Four
weeks after a federal study was released saying Florida could lose up to 183,000
acres of commercial citrus groves as a result of the current citrus canker eradication
program, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is
focusing its resources on compiling accurate data about the spread of the disease. It will
increase surveying efforts to determine as accurately as possible where and how
canker has spread as a result of hurricanes, and could decide to change its approach
to eradication. “Given
the recent information about the potential impact of Hurricane Wilma, we feel
we need to determine exactly where the disease is, as well as review the scientific
data before we make decisions on the future of the eradication program,”
Liz Compton, spokeswoman for FDACS, told FFVA. Published
reports on Friday (January 6) said that enforcement of the 1,900-foot rule had
been suspended. Compton said, however, that this had not happened. “It
is not a rule, it is a law, and we cannot just suspend it,” Compton said.
“It is important to get the infected trees out and as of today (January 6),
our policy is to return to remove exposed trees at a later date. Of course, that
could change pending the outcome of the review of the scientific data from Wilma
as well as the delimiting survey,” she added. The
1,900-foot rule was based on the scientific finding that under normal weather
conditions, the disease could be spread within 1,900 feet of an exposed tree.
All trees falling within that 1,900 foot perimeter were to be destroyed. However,
newer research has shown that recent hurricanes spread the bacteria over a much
wider area, in some cases up to 30 miles. Tests will be conducted based on wind
patterns generated by the hurricanes.
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