<p>USDA has created a multi-agency emergency response framework to combat the devastating citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, according to a recent press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"USDA listened to the citrus industry's request for more urgency and greater coordination on the response to HLB and is implementing an emergency response structure," said Secretary Tom Vilsack.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">HLB is a serious bacterial disease of citrus that has devastated millions of acres of citrus crops throughout the United States and abroad. Healthy trees are infected by an insect vector known as the Asian citrus psyllid. In the US, the entire states of Florida and Georgia are under quarantine for HLB, and portions of California, Louisiana, South Carolina and Texas are also under quarantine for the disease. Also, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are under HLB quarantines as well.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">According to the USDA, the multi-agency coordination (MAC) group will speed up progress by giving the industry a single point of contact for all Federal and State entities that work on citrus issues. The new framework will allow the agency to better share information and develop strategies with its many partners. This will allow better collaboration on policy decisions and prevent duplication of efforts.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The new framework will bring together USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), along with state departments of agriculture and the citrus industry.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2013/12/0238.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent" target="_new">USDA</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
