Efforts To Protect RivCo's 6,700 Acres Of Cotton Against Pest Continue

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday signed off on an agreement between the Riverside County Office of Agriculture and the state for ongoing efforts to detect the presence of pink bollworm species in cotton fields.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board authorized Agricultural Commissioner Ruben Arroyo to renew the compact with the California Department of Food & Agriculture, retroactive to Nov. 1 and ending on June 30.

The Pink Bollworm Host-Free Monitoring Program contracts are renewed on an annual basis. The new one provides for $5,000 in state funds for county agricultural inspectors to watch for any signs of bollworm resurgence.

In October 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared publicly that the pests had been completely eradicated from cotton fields "after more than 100 years ... and tens of millions of dollars in yearly control costs."

According to federal officials, the first bollworms arrived from Mexico in 1917 and became rooted in Texas, thereafter spreading to other parts of the country. After 2003, they were mainly found in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

The pests feed on cotton seeds and destroy fibers, potentially ruining crop yields, according to researchers.

In Riverside County, there are roughly 6,700 acres reserved or dedicated to cotton production, according to the Office of Agriculture. The cotton fields are clustered in the eastern portion of the county, around Blythe.

The cotton industry nationally represents a $30 billion market, according to the USDA.