madam chairman , this amendment i offer would increase funding for the animal and plant health inspection service , aphis , by $ 1.227 million for the purpose of eradicating plum pox disease . 
this funding effort would allow for the total amount of funding for this program at aphis to be $ 3.443 million , the same level that was appropriated in fiscal year 2005 . 
the amendment i offer is important to the fruit growers both in pennsylvania and across our nation . 
it would help to bring an end to the most significant and destructive virus that affects our stone fruit grower , plum pox . 
the virus is extremely damaging to fruit production . 
the plum pox virus is capable of causing disease in fruits such as peaches , plums , apricots , nectarines , sweet and sour cherries . 
tree yields can be severely affected . 
some reports claim 80 to 100 percent premature fruit drop in some plum varieties . 
infected fruit may be unsightly and difficult to sell as table fruit . 
export of fruit is difficult ; export of budwood and nursery stock is next to impossible . 
with the discovery of plum pox virus in pennsylvania in september of 1999 , a survey and eradication program was put in place . 
through 5 years of survey , research and control action , the program has been successful in both containing and almost completely eradicating the virus . 
in fact , in 2004 , for the first time no plum pox virus was found outside of existing quarantine areas . 
three years of negative data in several of these quarantine areas allowed the rescinding of those quarantines . 
after 5 years of testing , no plum pox virus has been found in the united states outside the remaining quarantine zone in pennsylvania . 
although we have made considerable progress , the virus is still present . 
as evidence of the virus ' persistence , on june 3 of this year , last week , the pennsylvania secretary of agriculture announced the discovery of plum pox virus in adams county once again . 
both the pennsylvania department of agriculture and the united states department of agriculture are currently following the standard procedures to survey and quarantine the area in question . 
level fund for the plum pox virus program at aphis will likely eradicate this virus from both pennsylvania and the united states , thereby being a smart federal investment . 
without adequate funding , the plum pox virus program will not be able to complete an appropriate survey and the associated procedures , which in turn will leave questions about the status of the virus . 
eradication of the virus may not be completed and the possibility of virus spreading beyond the quarantine area will be left open . 
complete eradication of the plum pox virus , on the other hand , will allow u.s. stone fruits and nursery industries to continue operating without further impairment by this virus menace . 
level funding , as this amendment proposes , is critical to helping to eradicate this devastating disease once and for all . 
