85R9525 KID-D
By: Martinez H.R. No. 379
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Mexican fruit fly is an invasive pest capable of
devastating crops throughout many parts of the Western Hemisphere,
and it is a particularly serious threat to Texas agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Native to central Mexico, Mexican fruit flies were
first detected in Texas in 1927; they are long-lived, highly
fertile, and highly mobile, and they can damage over 50 species of
fruits; although Mexican fruit flies have appeared repeatedly over
the years, eradication programs have thus far prevented them from
becoming an established pest in the continental United States; and
WHEREAS, A new Mexican fruit fly outbreak was confirmed in
the Lower Rio Grande Valley in February 2016, and as a result, parts
of Webb and Zapata Counties and many cities in the region were
placed under quarantine for the insect; while the quarantine is in
effect, residents in the affected area should refrain from
transporting fruit outside the quarantine sector in order to avoid
spreading the pest; fruit grown in the yard should not be given to
friends or neighbors but rather picked and stored inside the house;
unwanted or fallen fruit should be double bagged for disposal; and
WHEREAS, The citrus industry is a crucial component of the
South Texas economy, and citizens have an important role to play in
stopping the spread of a pest that threatens the vitality of
agribusiness in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize January as Mexican Fruit Fly Awareness
Month and encourage all Texans to learn more about ways to stop the
proliferation of the Mexican fruit fly.