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Fresno County ratifies local emergency to allow neonicotinoid use on processing tomatoes amid beet leafhopper threat
Summary
The board ratified a local emergency so commercial tomato growers may use restricted neonicotinoid pesticides to combat beet leafhopper and the curly top virus; growers must follow label rules and obtain written recommendations from licensed pest control advisors.
Fresno County ratified a local emergency declaration that allows commercial tomato growers to apply restricted neonicotinoid pesticides on an emergency basis to combat a surge in beet leafhopper populations, the county’s chief administrative officer told the Board.
Paul Nerlinger, the county administrative officer, and Melissa Gregan, Fresno County agricultural commissioner, explained the action uses a statutory emergency exemption to California pesticide restrictions that took effect January 1, 2024. Under the exemption growers must obtain written recommendations from a licensed pest control advisor and retain those records for at least two years.
Agricultural and county officials said beet leafhopper transmits the tomato curly top virus, a plant pathogen that can severely reduce yields. Gregan said the insect’s recent trap counts rose quickly over a three-week period and that the virus can make fruit unmarketable; department staff and grower representatives warned losses can be large. As one office summary put it during the meeting, the virus “has the potential to pretty much wipe out 90% of your production” when the vector populations surge.
County and industry speakers emphasized other regulatory safeguards remain in force: pesticides must be applied according to their label, county agricultural inspectors will monitor compliance, and growers must follow pollinator-protection measures when relevant. David Lucchini, director of public health, noted the regulatory restrictions prompting the emergency were meant to protect pollinators and that the county’s action addresses crop loss rather than human-health risks.
The board approved the resolution ratifying the emergency and authorized the chairman to sign the ratification. Members of the farming community, farm organizations and industry representatives spoke in favor, saying the crop is economically significant: speakers noted that California produces more than 95% of the nation’s processing tomatoes and represents roughly a third of global supply, and that high pest pressure this season could threaten jobs in rural communities.
The declaration permits emergency pesticide use only for the duration of the local emergency and within the limitations cited; county staff said they will inspect for label compliance and recordkeeping.
Vote: motion carried; the board ratified the local emergency.
