Peters Reintroduces Bipartisan Bill to Target Invasive Fly Hurting Michigan Fruit Growers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to combat the spread of spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive fly hurting fruit growers in Michigan and across the country. Peters' Spotted Wing Abatement Trust (SWAT) Act would help strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts to reduce the spread of SWD and advance their research into this invasive insect.

"I've heard firsthand from Michigan growers about how these invasive insects continue to damage their blueberries, cherries, and other fruit crops, and pose a serious threat to their livelihoods and businesses," said Senator Peters. "I'm going to keep pushing for this much-needed, bipartisan bill to help bring down costs for fruit growers and mitigate the spread of this invasive pest to prevent their crops from being spoiled in the first place."

"Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) continues to pose a significant threat to Michigan cherry growers, resulting in substantial crop losses due to this invasive pest. While extensive research has been conducted-and continues to be underway-a comprehensive, long-term solution has yet to be achieved," said Emily Miezio, Cherry Marketing Institute. "Michigan tart cherry growers emphasize that effective control of SWD remains a top priority in their ability to consistently produce high-quality fruit. The Michigan cherry industry and the Cherry Marketing Institute are grateful for Senator Peters' continued leadership and commitment in reintroducing the SWAT Act."

"The invasive pest, Spotted Wing Drosphila, has caused substantial harm to the cherry industry in Michigan by not only destroying fruit on the trees, but forcing significant increases in costly crop protection practices. I applaud Senator Peters for reintroducing the SWAT Act. It is so important to find real solutions to these issues, instead of band aids. Research that benefits specialty crops will pay dividends in keeping American farmers in business and American citizens eat healthy food that is grown in the USA," said Juliette McAvoy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of King Orchards Farm in Central Lake, Michigan.

Peters' SWAT Act - which he authored and reintroduced with U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) - would establish a fund managed by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to advance research and strengthen efforts to reduce the species' population in the U.S. The fund would be authorized at $6.5 million annually for five years.

The spotted wing drosophila is an invasive pest from East Asia that lays eggs in soft-skinned fruit crops, including cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Since their first detection in the continental United States in 2008, they have spread across the West Coast, as well as through Florida, Georgia, Utah, the Carolinas, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The spotted wing drosophila have caused more than an estimated $700 million in economic loss per year nationally - in part because fruit buyers have a zero-tolerance policy if the invasive insect is spotted on crops, meaning entire crop loads can be rejected if a single larva is detected. Thorough pest management strategies are required for farmers to ensure their crops are SWD-free, raising costs along the way.

A Spotted Wing Drosophila Response Team is led by researchers at Michigan State University and many other U.S. universities - and has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Project GREEEN, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and various Michigan grower organizations. In talks with members of the Spotted Wing Drosophila Response Team, Professor Rufus Isaacs of Michigan State University, Professor Ash Sial of University of Georgia, and officials with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have all said current federal funding levels are inadequate for the management of these invasive insects - and that's why Peters reintroduced this legislation.

Peters has fiercely fought to support growers in Michigan by strengthening our defenses against invasive species. In 2020, Peters' bipartisan legislation to address the shortage of agricultural inspectors - who protect the nation's food supply and agricultural industry at the border - by authorizing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire additional inspectors was signed into law. Peters also fought to level the playing field for small- and medium-sized businesses that have been negatively impacted by unfair trade practices from foreign countries, including Michigan cherry growers hurt by dumping and subsidies on imported goods. Additionally, after a push by Peters, the U.S. International Trade Commission announced in 2020 it would start tracking foreign imports to accurately measure the impact of trade on Michigan's tart cherry industry.

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