USDA Takes Aim at Invasive Species with $48M Investment

Apr 03, 2014

The 2014 Farm Bill is being rolled out, which includes an allocation towards mitigating the introduction and spread of invasive pests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreed to pledge $48.1 million towards invasive pest control projects, funds which are approved in the farm bill.

Government scientists peg the economic cost of invasive species to be approximately $120 billion annually.

Highlights of some of the approved projects include:

• $2 million to tackle exotic fruit flies in California
• $270,907 towards honey bee research and identifying pests and disease threats
• $290,000 towards ongoing projects which involve noxious/invasive weed surveying
• $224,894 for the National Plant Board to develop a national strategy for nursery certification with respect to reducing the risk of plant diseases in nursery stock

There are approximately 383 projects in 49 states that will receive funding.

In addition to the funding announcement, the USDA declared April as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month.

Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production