Jonah Olmeer was the first power of the federal government on the small gas pests that most Americans had not heard – but it could reduce crops throughout the United States
Insects are known as the size of GNAT, known as Thrips and Psyllids, often infiltrated the country on imported flowers and products-ULMER and his colleagues in the US Department of Agriculture to determine the very destructive species that appear on damable goods during damaged goods during The inspection process Required in American entry ports.
However, the shooting was suddenly launched last month – the Trump administration’s turbulent efforts were invaded to reduce the federal workforce significantly. It is one of at least 145 workers in the protection of the plant alone who have been terminated, including insect scientists, soil conservation scientists, and tree climbers looking for pests, according to a list of job titles obtained by NBC News.
In general, approximately 6000 monitoring workers – new employees who were working in the job less than a year or workers who were promoted – were eliminated by the US Department of Agriculture, including other highly trained scientists and technical employees stationed throughout the country to help customs employees examine imported elements, and identify the identity of those who develop dangerous contracting.
As the national classification expert of Thrips and Psychides, Ulmer knew that there was no single person in the agency with the experience he had – and he knows the consequences of making a mistake that could be harsh.
“You can’t be wrong. Olmeer told NBC News:“ You should always be right. ”The person who determines him as an unintended scourge, comes in the country and improves chaos? The effects of this can be millions or billions of dollars in economic damage. ”
This week council ordered the US Department of Agriculture Backbone For at least 45 days of employees who opened fire, but it is not clear when they return to work – or for how long, especially since President Donald Trump has made his intention to repress the federal workforce very clear.
In a statement, a spokesman for the US Department of Agriculture expressed his support for “Trump’s directives to improve the government, eliminate shortcomings and strengthen many services of the US Department of Agriculture for the American people,” stressing the importance of ensuring that “every dollar spends goes to serve people, not bureaucracy.” The administration reviews the last order to restore the voracious workers.
But indeed, the shootings were subjected to a serious blow to the federal inspection process required for food, imported plants and other organic materials – an agency name program “necessary“To prevent infection and spread diseases from paralysis of America Trillion dollars Agricultural economy.
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Discounts It can have severe and attractive economic consequences for both American farmers and consumers. Although the US Department of Agriculture’s inspections – which are being jointly taking place with customs and US border protection – continue to enter entry ports, the loss of both employees and experience raises the risks that the scourge and diseases are slips to the United States without anyone noticing.
“Maybe we cannot grow pepper or cucumber in the United States because we have these pests,” said Christine Bolt, AFIA CEO, a commercial group representing flower importers. “People do not realize that these threats do not occur overnight – they occur over time.”
To date, Bolt says she has received assurances from US Department of Agriculture officials and CBP that the Inspection Team in Miami – the largest entry point in the country for cut flower imports – has not been changed. “But they say after that,” Every day it can change. “
The most important scourge with which Olmeer dealt was the Asian citrus. Only 3 to 4 millimeters, the insect bears plant disease The famous citrus industry in Florida. Another type of Gase lesions known as hot pepper Trip loves to devour strawberries, cotton plants and pepper, and it is difficult to contain a crop. “They are developing pesticide resistance quickly,” Olmeer said. “So the best option is prevention and quarantine.”
The uncommon species also appear all the time, which prompted Ulmer and its colleagues to combing through A vast set of Smithsonian insects Or rush to their laboratories to perform anatomy on small samples. Last year in California, citrus farmers suffered new types of Gaseous fruit That multiply inside the pulp, which makes the fruit not suitable for development.
“You must strip your fruits and destroy – it is a major financial impact,” said Caseyrdom, president and CEO of California Citrus Mutual, a commercial group for citrus farmers, who stressed the importance of maintaining the employment of the US Department of Agriculture in protecting the industry. “No one wants to open a piece of citrus fruit and find larvae.”
The US Department of Agriculture has also launched one of the only experts in the federal government in snails and gas, which could be harmful to crops.
“They will be randomly eating most things – soybeans, corn or specialized crops such as strawberries and berries,” said Morgan Police, an expert and expert who lost her job last month. Mollusks can transmit diseases such as Ran lung worm For humans when they crawl on products like lettuce.
Every day, Olmeer and Bullis explained the dangerous pests that should be stone – and were sent specifically to their national laboratory because regional identifiers were not sure whether the strange mistake that fell from a flower or slipped on a wooden board was a real threat.
“When we had these first rumors about the monitoring terminations, they told us not to worry, because we are dealing with the American economy, so they did not believe that we would be injured.”
The agency’s experiences and employees also threaten the costs of importers due to inspection delay – and may eventually raise the prices of regular commodities for American consumers.
Inspections in the US Department of Agriculture are very sensitive to time, as inspections must be completed before allowing agricultural commodities. Lesser number of pest experts and pest employees in the US Department of Agriculture can mean delay in inspections and thousands of dollars from the additional storage, shipping and cooling fees for importers, according to Michael Lahar, Director of Organizational Affairs at DERERERER, and an American customs intermediary.
“They will do their best, but they will slow down. Slowness will lead to additional costs. Lahar said that additional costs will flow to ordinary Americans.” So when you go to the supermarket, and you want to buy dozens of roses for your sweetheart to bring her home, it will be more expensive. ”
Ulmer began in the US Department of Agriculture in October, to replace a national expert in the agency for more than 16 years before his retirement.
He was stationed on his laboratory on Valentine’s Day – one of the most crowded times a year given the flow of cut flowers – when he was suddenly notified that he had been terminated. It was in the midst of the classification of a new type of destroyed Psyllid that has just begun to appear in the US ports on the strange flowers shipped from South Africa.
While the workers were informed that they were expelled due to “performance” cases, Olmero and many other workers said they had received their work and did not receive complaints related to performance. And since their division is largely funded by User fees Importers pay, employee discounts do not mean a large provision of taxpayers.
Ulmer is still waiting to receive any word about whether it will be returned or when it will be re -re -reinstated, and he has no expectation that he still has a job after the end of the 45 -day period.
But at the present time, he is eager to return to his laboratory and start working through a large pile of insect identity that he knows will wait.
“Insects do not care what the current political environment is,” he said. “They will only continue.”
