A new agricultural inspection laboratory coming to South Florida will aid in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s fight against plant pests and diseases, said Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) today.

“One of the biggest threats to American agriculture – especially Florida’s agriculture – comes in the form of disease and invasive plant species from overseas,” said Putnam.  “This new laboratory will help us to find solutions to protect our domestic food supply and better ways to stop problems at the border instead of depending on expensive eradication efforts after it is too late.”

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced plans to open a new Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection (AQI) and Port Technology Methods Development Laboratory in South Miami later this year.  According to the USDA, the new facility will use state-of-the-art technologies to develop commodity treatments and port inspection technologies that will safeguard American crops.

“The role of scientists at the laboratory will be to find new and better ways to ensure that agricultural imports are free from diseases and invasive species that can cause irreparable harm to America’s agriculture and natural resources,” said Putnam.

Putnam has long been an advocate of improved pest and disease protection measures.  Last year he helped write the Pest and Disease Management section of the Farm Bill, which became law.  Those new programs provide USDA with better means for pest and disease detection and control. (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 PL No: 110-234, Section 10201.)  He also sponsored a proposal (Agricultural Border Safeguard Protection Act) that would the USDA back in charge of agricultural import and entry inspection functions instead of the Department of Homeland Security/

Since 2001, Putnam has represented Florida’s 12^th Congressional District, which includes most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties.