Safeguarding Plant, Animal, and Environmental 
Resources From Exotic Pests and Diseases 
Agricultural Quarantine and 
Inspection Program: 
The First Line of Defense 
The agricultural quarantine and 
inspection (AQI) program is 
designed to prevent the introduc- 
tion of harmful plant and animal 
pests and diseases, such as 
noxious weeds, insects, fungi, and 
parasites, into the United States. 
These pests and diseases could 
threaten the abundance and 
variety of the U.S. food supply, 
damage our natural resources, 
and cost American taxpayers 
hundreds of millions of dollars for 
higher priced food and fiber 
products and the cost of control 
and eradication programs. PPQ 
officers and technicians inspect 
PPQ officers and technicians 
inspect passenger baggage, 
mail, ship and airline stores or 
food supplies, vehicles, and 
cargo in the Federal Inspec- 
tion Services areas at U.S. 
ports of entry. (USDA photo by 
Larry Rana.) 
passenger baggage, mail, ship 
and airline stores or food supplies, 
vehicles, and cargo in the Federal 
Inspection Services areas at U.S. 
ports of entry. In Hawaii and 
Puerto Rico, and in some parts of 
Canada and some Caribbean 
countries, passengers undergo 
predeparture inspection before 
leaving for the U.S. mainland. 
PPQ inspectors look for prohibited 
agricultural products and associ- 
ated materials that could serve as 
pathways for introduction of 
invasive pests. These products are 
forbidden entry into the United 
States or are allowed in only under 
very specific conditions. Every 
year, PPQ port personnel intercept 
tens of thousands of insects and 
tons of agricultural contraband and 
associated material that could 
contain microscopic plant and 
animal pests and diseases. 
PPQ employs more than 120 x-ray 
machines and detector dog teams 
at more than 20 airports and 3 
land-border ports to increase the 
efficiency of passenger baggage 
inspection. The dog teams, 
USDA's Beagle Brigade, work 
primarily at international airports 
and selected post offices for 
baggage and package inspection. 
The beagles’ average success rate 
in finding concealed regulated 
items is 90 percent. Beagle 
Brigade teams and PPQ officers 
have also become goodwill 
ambassadors for PPQ, making 
speeches and giving demonstra- 
tions at schools and fairs or other 
public events. 
PPQ cooperates with the U.S. 
Department of the Interior in 
carrying out provisions of the 
