(From the Pierce’s Disease-Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Board of Directors)

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross has set the 2013 Pierce’s disease wine grape harvest assessment at $.75 per $1,000 of value.

This rate represents a decrease from the 2012 rate of $1.

The new rate is based on the recommendation by the Pierce’s Disease-Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter board of directors.

Get the latest agricultural news each day. Sign up for the Western Farm Press Daily free e-mail newsletter.

PD-GWSS assessment research funds help find a solution to Pierce’s disease and other activities related to the transmittal of the bacterial disease, which is vectored by the glassy-winged sharpshooter. In the end, infected grape vines die.

Board Chairman Drew Johnson said, “With both production and prices expected to be up, the Board felt that a lower assessment rate would still bring in the necessary funds needed to maintain all the research and other Board programs at current levels.”

For more information on PD-GWSS, go online to www.pdgwss.net. 

More news from Western Farm Press:

Produce is the ‘right product at the right time’

Young farmers face fields of risk

A perspective from my side of the plate