SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES, FISCAL YEAR 1965 
PLANT QUARANTINE DIVISION 
Injurious insects, disease organisms, and other plant pests cause 
substantial losses to our Nation's agricultural economy each year--losses 
borne by all the people of the United States: Farmers, industrialworkers, 
businessmen, and consumers, alike. Many of the losses resulting from 
direct damage to crops, as wellas indirect costs for control and 
eradication measures, are traceable to alien pests--some of them brought 
into this country by thefirst settlers. If allowed unrestricted entry, new 
invasions of plant enemies from foreigncountries and off-shore islands 
could result inadditional costs through lost and damaged crops, reduced 
production of our farms and forests,and increased outlays for pesticides 
and pest control, 
The First Line of Defense: The plant quarantine system is America's 
first line of defense against foreignplant pests. Tosafeguardthe Nation's 
food and fiber resources, about 600 highly trained Plant Quarantine 
Inspectors are assigned to major U.S. airports, seaports, and border 
crossings to halt the introduction of destructive plant pests. The task 
is acomplexand difficult one, due to the many kinds and vast numbers of 
these pests, their small size, and their habit of "hitching" rides ona 
score of innocent agricultural and nonagricultura] articles offered for 
entry or carried intravelers' baggage. 
Nearly 8 millionmore people entered the United States during fiscal year 
1965 than during fiscal year 1964. Anincreasing number of arrivals--24 
hoursa day, 7 daysa week--wereat inland ports for ocean-going vessels 
or interior airfields. Such entries increase the hazard of quick spread 
of pests within the country. Augmented movements of military personnel 
and equipment, coupled withcertain relaxations inimmigration require- 
ments, foretell of a need for redoubled efforts to cope with the growing 
dimensions of the foreign pest problem. Indicative of the scope of the 
problem is the large number of plant pests and prohibited plant materials 
intercepted. During fiscal year 1965, 479,000 interceptions were taken 
at ports of entry--}¢75 percent over theaverage of the preceding 5-year 
period. More than one-half of these interceptions were found in the 36.6 
million pieces of baggage carried into the United States. 
The total inspection workload increased 20. 9 percent during the reporting 
period. A direct relationship exists between the various workload 
factors and the risk of plant pest introduction. Carriers and cargoes, 
both agricultural and nonagricultural, are subject to infestation or 
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