Officials in Stanislaus County, Northern California, have approved an emergency proclamation on May 14 to allow local tomato farmers to use a banned pesticide to protect crops from incoming pests this year.
This proclamation permits growers to apply a pesticide that has been banned in California this year to combat an infestation of the beet leafhopper, a destructive bug that targets tomato plants.
Local farmers and pest control experts alerted the county in central California about the detection of pests in the local tomato crops. Data from the California Department of Agriculture also confirmed the presence of these pests within the county.
The pale green beet leafhopper, a torpedo-shaped insect with a long body, spreads the beet curly top virus to tomato and other plants, ultimately causing their demise.
County officials have labeled this bug as an “extreme threat.”
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A law passed by the California Legislature last year, effective January 1, limited the usage of specific pesticides, including neonicotinoids, on certain crops to safeguard honeybees.
County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse, serving as the director of the county’s emergency services, declared the emergency on May 9.
The county’s agricultural commissioner has the authority to permit the use of the banned pesticide on tomato crops under the state’s exemption for pest control.
Any farmers applying the pesticides must obtain a written recommendation from a licensed pest control advisor and retain the documentation for a minimum of two years after application, as per county regulations.
This emergency measure will remain in effect until July 13.
