The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has successfully navigated the evolving challenges of 2023 to safeguard U.S. agriculture and natural resources. Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt from Marketing and Regulatory Programs commended APHIS for its continuous adaptation and innovation in addressing agricultural threats.
Key achievements of APHIS in 2023 included:
Innovative Protection for American Agriculture: APHIS scientists developed new tools for fighting plant pests and diseases. They created predictive models for plant pests, strategies to eradicate giant African snails in Florida, and environmentally-friendly alternatives for treating log exports. The use of vacuum steam in treating fresh fruits was a highlight, minimizing damage while removing pests.
- Strategic planning: A new 5-year strategic plan was published in April 2023, laying out the Agency’s future direction based on societal, environmental, and technological trends.
- Safeguarding against invasive pests: APHIS inspected over 3.31 billion pounds of imported crops from 20 countries, highlighting its continuous efforts in protecting domestic plants while enabling safe trade.
- African Swine Fever (ASF) prevention: APHIS intensified efforts to prevent ASF from entering the U.S., enhancing safeguards, increasing surveillance, and raising awareness through campaigns like “Protect our Pigs” and “Pigs Don’t Fly.”
- Response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): APHIS’ proactive biosecurity measures helped reduce the impact of HPAI, resulting in fewer cases in 2023 compared to 2022. This effort was crucial in sustaining poultry and egg availability and stabilizing prices.
- Expanding animal export markets: APHIS successfully negotiated to open, expand, retain, or reopen 72 markets for U.S. live animal exports, ensuring continued market access despite challenges like avian influenza and Newcastle disease.
- Feral swine control: The APHIS National Feral Swine Damage Management Program declared Indiana feral swine-free and continued to control feral swine populations over 7.3 million acres, significantly reducing their destructive impact.
Additionally, APHIS welcomed a new leader, Dr. Mike Watson, who was named the Administrator in December 2023. With his extensive experience, Dr. Watson is committed to building on the Agency's legacy of partnership and customer service, focusing on innovative and science-based solutions to upcoming challenges.
APHIS's accomplishments in 2023 demonstrate its steadfast dedication to protecting American agriculture and natural resources, adapting to new challenges with science and innovation.
