Schumer: Feds To Help Efforts To Fight Potato Pest

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Efforts to fight a pest that threatens the potato industry are getting a boost from the federal government.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has agreed to commit $400,000 to Cornell University's Nematode Quarantine Laboratory.

The money will be used to replace outdated equipment at the lab, where researches study ways to defeat the golden nematode and pale cyst nematode, two types of worm that Schumer says could be a problem for potato crops nationwide.

State officials recently authorized $1.2 million for the construction of a new lab.

Schumer made the announcement during a visit to the facility. He noted that New York state is home to a $65 million potato industry.