Pierce’s Disease Assessment Rate Increased

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross has set the Pierce’s disease winegrape assessment for the 2012 harvest at $1.00 per $1,000 of value, based on the recommendation made by the Pierce’s Disease/Glassy Winged Sharpshooter Board at its June board meeting.

The assessment is used to fund research to find a solution to Pierce’s disease (PD), and other activities related to the transmittal of PD, a bacterial disease vectored by the glassy-winged sharpshooter that kills grapevines.

The assessment represents a 25¢ increase from 75¢ per $1,000 of value. The higher assessment is expected to generate total assessment revenue of $2.746 million for the Pierce’s Disease Control Program. Not only was the assessment raised, but total revenue is also expected to increase based on a higher predicted crop value for 2012, according to the California Association of Winegrape Growers.