The look of concern is clear as farmers listen to Maloney
NEW HAMPTON – Orange County farmers have been bracing themselves since reports surfaced last month of an outbreak of the allium leafminer, an invasive species of insect, which has specifically threatened the area’s lucrative onion crop industry.
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D, NY-18) addressed the concerns of
Orange County farmers while at Minkus Family Farms, an onion farm, in
New Hampton. He was joined by some elected officials and agriculture experts
to discuss plans on how to eradicate the insect outbreak.
As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Maloney said he is passionate about finding a solution to this problem.
“Since I got elected, I wanted to understand the issues of local farmers and the agricultural industry,” he said. “We want to play offense and do things that affirmatively help our local farmers, but sometimes we have to play defense, and an issue like this is something where we have to come together. This issue is almost akin to a natural disaster.”
Ethan Grunberg, a vegetable specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension, explained the work his organization is doing to research this outbreak.
“We are working with entomologists at Cornell University, with the support of [Maloney], to try and apply for funds to further research this insect,” Grunberg said. “I’ve been very optimistic by the progress that has been made when it comes to getting access to research funds.”
Minkus Family Farms owner Rick Minkus appears to be less optimistic, however, about the issue in general.
“My crystal ball is broken,” he said. “We’re not really sure what [this insect] is going to do. The public wants perfect onions, so if we had bugs, the crops would be hurting bad.”
Christopher Pawelski of Pawelski Farms in Pine Island, remains hopeful about his crops, but is concerned over how long the allium leafminer will stick around.
“So far, the effects on my crops have been minimal, because this pest is more interested in crops that have more leaves on them,” Pawelski said. “But what concerns me is what happens if this bug stays longer, or it flight ends later, or the second flight comes earlier. If it comes a little bit earlier, then we might have a problem.”
The allium leafminer was first discovered in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in December 2015. It was the insect’s first confirmed appearance in the Western Hemisphere. The bug has targeted a number of crops in the onion family, including onions, leeks, garlic, chives, and shallots. The spread has not been contained since, as it has spread to New Jersey, Delaware and other parts of New York State. Infestations occurred in Ulster and Dutchess County last fall.
