Conn. regulator calls for white rust deregulation

Louis Magnarelli, director of the Conn. Ag Experiment Station, informed the National Plant Board in late August that current federally required protocols to quarantine and eradicate chrysanthemum white rust (CWR) causes “financial losses and hardship for people, particularly those who have small retail operations … with no reimbursement from federal or state funds.” He also told the board: “State budgets are tight, and limited resources need to be directed to programs on more destructive pests.” In April, USDA released an economic impact report of deregulating CWR.