Arkansas’s farming community feels a surge of vigilance as inspectors move through the state’s sweet‑potato fields.
Inspectors from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture are actively trapping sweet‑potato weevils across the state as part of a mandatory certification program that enables growers to ship their crops interstate, keeping Arkansas’s sweet‑potato harvest weevil‑free for the first time in decades.
Inspectors Conduct Weevil Trapping for Sweet‑Potato Certification
Inspectors are in the field conducting weevil trapping for growers participating in the Sweet Potato Weevil Certification Program, according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
The certification program is required for any grower who wishes to ship sweet potatoes across state lines, ensuring compliance before the harvest is sent out of state.
Growers who meet the certification requirements and are found to be free of sweet‑potato weevils receive green tags, which are necessary for interstate shipment.
The state has not recorded a sweet‑potato weevil detection since the early 1990s, and the program continues to play a key role in keeping Arkansas’s sweet‑potato crops protected and weevil‑free.
Leave a Reply