Farm Compliance

Newark, New Jersey - United States Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at Newark Liberty International Airport remain committed to safeguarding American Agriculture.

On March 10, a Newark CBP agriculture specialist discovered a plant bug, Hallodapus sp (Miridae) on a commercial importation of thyme from Israel. The discovery of this insect is the first of its kind in the nation.

This species was described as a quarantine pest that had the potential to cause economic damage to a trillion dollar agriculture industry. The plant bug was forwarded to the USDA laboratory for identification and a final report was forwarded which confirmed CBP’s identification of the pest as Hallodapus sp (Miridae).

The discovery of a new pest or disease is nothing new for agriculture specialists in Newark who have extensive training and expertise in agriculture inspection. In fiscal year 2008, Newark agriculture specialists discovered 14 pests and diseases that have never been encountered in the United States. This latest discovery of a quarantine pest puts the total to 6 newly encountered pests in the United States in FY 2009. USDA officials concluded that these interceptions were indeed first time finds not native to the United States and each discovery emphasizes the importance of the agriculture specialist’s critical mission within CBP.

The Port of Newark serves an international gateway for the potential entry of exotic agriculture pests and diseases. “CBP agriculture specialists remain the first line of defense in preventing the intentional or unintentional entry of harmful pests and diseases into the United States and they play a pinnacle role in safeguarding our agriculture industry,” said Adele Fasano, area director of the Newark Area.