The House of Representatives passed a bill Monday that will add hundreds of new agriculture inspectors to U.S. ports of entry. Earlier this month, the Society of American Florists signed a letter of support for the bill, seeing it as a way to strengthen the scrutiny of pests and diseases at those ports while facilitating faster movement of pest-free material along the supply chain.
SAF’s Senior Lobbyist Joe Bischoff, Ph.D., said the bill addresses a pre-existing shortage of inspectors and noted that the Senate passed its own version of the legislation last year.
“Increasing the number of inspectors should ultimately mean faster, more efficient inspections and faster movement of product through the distribution chain, which is a positive and important outcome for members of the floral community at every segment,” Bischoff said.
Read more at the Society of American Florists (Mary Westbrook)