Louisiana inspects cotton harvest equipment to prevent boll weevil return

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) -- Restrictions are being applied for all cotton harvest equipment traveling into Louisiana to avoid the reintroduction of an invasive pest.

The boll weevil was declared eradicated from Louisiana in 2012. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) said there is a risk for the pest to be reintroduced from equipment traveling through the state as the harvest season starts.

“The boll weevil is resilient; we must stay diligent in our efforts to keep them out of Louisiana,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain. “In support of these efforts, our department must be notified once the equipment stops anywhere within the state of Louisiana so that we can review all pertinent documentation and inspect the equipment.”

The state requires a Fumigation