Division of Regulatory Services 



Lewis F. Wells, Director 



The Division of Regulatory Services encountered 

 another year full of important regulatory activities. 

 Some of these activities include new initiatives (i.e. 

 groundwater protection, right of way management) in the 

 Pesticide Bureau, the continued battle against the spread 

 of the Varroa and Tracheal mites, agressive inspection 

 and enforcement of dairy and, seed, feed and fertilizer 

 regulations. Faced with the continuing pressure on the 

 dairy industry, the Bureau of Milk Marketing con- 

 tinued to closely monitor the price and supply of milk. 



Bureau of Plant Pest Control 



Peter Kuzminski, Chief, Bureau of Plant Pest Con- 

 trol retired in 1988. The Department of Food and 

 Agriculture wishes Pete a happy retirement and thanks 

 him for his long service to the citizens of the Common- 

 wealth. Warren Shepard, previously with the Bureau of 

 Markets and Pesticide Bureau was appointed as the 

 Bureau Chief. 



Apiary Inspection 



A small but vital sector of Bay State agriculture is the 

 apiary industry. And Massachusetts has fewer 

 beekeepers than many other states. We produce a 

 modest amount of honey, but the largely unnoticed value 

 of the apiary industry is pollination by bees -necessary to 

 most of our crops. The major issues for this industry are 

 the threats from the outside - Trachael mites, Africanized 

 bees, and Varroa mites. Trachael mite has not been the 

 problem we first anticipated, although we must do many 

 inspections to remain in control of the situation. 

 Africanized bees can be placed in the same category. The 

 largest concern is the prevention of infiltration of the 

 Varroa mite into Massachusetts. If this occurs, the situa- 

 tion will be serious as there is no registered pesticide to 

 control this mite and quarantine is difficult with the de- 

 gree of bee colony movement in the state. 



Pesticide Regulation 



The most encouraging advances in the area of pest 

 management have been in the area of Integrated Pest 

 Management (IPM). The Department of Food and 

 Agriculture continues to work with the University of 

 Massachusetts in expanding this practice of reducing the 

 use of chemicals by employing biological, cultural and 

 mechanical methods of controlUng pests. 



International IPM Conference 



In March, the Department of Food and Agriculture, 

 World Bank and the University of Massachusetts held an 

 international conference on Integrated Pest Manage- 

 ment. Representatives from nearly every continent at- 

 tended the conference to exchange ideas and research on 

 ways to use an integrated approach to control pests. 



Dairying and Milk Marketing 



The demand for milk in the Boston metropoUtan area, 

 where most of the milk-handhng industry in New England 

 is located, has caused debate over the status of the milk 

 industry in the Northeast and possible strategies for in- 

 suring the future of dairy farming while keeping consumer 

 prices affordable. 



Quality Control in Farm Products 



The Bureau of Farm Products receives analytical sup- 

 port from the Seed, Feed, and Fertilizer Laboratory at the 

 University of Massachusetts, Amherst in administering 

 bureau programs and enforcing state laws concerning 

 branding and storage. Bureau staff also inspects apples 

 for export to the United Kingdom and Canada as well as 

 to other states. 



Working with other states, USDA, the Food and Drug 

 Administration and various regulated industries, the 

 Division of Regulatory Services helps foster high quality 

 agricultural products while guarding the public health 

 and safety. 



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