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BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Federal aid is on the way to help Idaho potato growers battle a microscopic worm that was discovered in fields last year and blamed for the closure of four export markets for fresh potatoes.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Thursday approved $10.7 million in emergency funding to help growers eradicate the potato cyst nematode. The pest is not considered harmful to humans, but can shrink yields by as much as 80 percent.
"This is huge for the Idaho potato industry and specifically for our growers," said Frank Muir, president of the Idaho Potato Commission. "This is exactly what we needed."
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