OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The federal government is setting aside extra money to combat an expected outbreak of grasshoppers this summer in Nebraska, the Dakotas and other states.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release Friday that nearly $11 million is being made available primarily for aerial and ground applications of insecticide where outbreaks occur.
The USDA says the suppression programs cover rangeland and not farmland, but some treatments will help keep down the grasshopper populations on farmland adjacent to treated range.
The USDA says its Farm Service Agency has aid programs for farmers who suffer losses from grasshopper infestations.
