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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Mexican fruit fly is an invasive pest capable of |
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| 6 | 7 | | devastating crops throughout many parts of the Western Hemisphere, |
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| 7 | 8 | | and it is a particularly serious threat to Texas agriculture; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Native to central Mexico, Mexican fruit flies were |
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| 9 | 10 | | first detected in Texas in 1927; they are long-lived, highly |
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| 10 | 11 | | fertile, and highly mobile, and they can damage over 50 species of |
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| 11 | 12 | | fruits; although Mexican fruit flies have appeared repeatedly over |
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| 12 | 13 | | the years, eradication programs have thus far prevented them from |
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| 13 | 14 | | becoming an established pest in the continental United States; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, A new Mexican fruit fly outbreak was confirmed in |
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| 15 | 16 | | the Lower Rio Grande Valley in February 2016, and as a result, parts |
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| 16 | 17 | | of Webb and Zapata Counties and many cities in the region were |
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| 17 | 18 | | placed under quarantine for the insect; while the quarantine is in |
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| 18 | 19 | | effect, residents in the affected area should refrain from |
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| 19 | 20 | | transporting fruit outside the quarantine sector in order to avoid |
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| 20 | 21 | | spreading the pest; fruit grown in the yard should not be given to |
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| 21 | 22 | | friends or neighbors but rather picked and stored inside the house; |
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| 22 | 23 | | unwanted or fallen fruit should be double bagged for disposal; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, The citrus industry is a crucial component of the |
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| 24 | 25 | | South Texas economy, and citizens have an important role to play in |
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| 25 | 26 | | stopping the spread of a pest that threatens the vitality of |
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| 26 | 27 | | agribusiness in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond; now, therefore, |
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| 27 | 28 | | be it |
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| 28 | 29 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 29 | 30 | | Legislature hereby recognize January as Mexican Fruit Fly Awareness |
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| 30 | 31 | | Month and encourage all Texans to learn more about ways to stop the |
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| 31 | 32 | | proliferation of the Mexican fruit fly. |
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