AGRICULTURE
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Tomato Virus Could Threaten Crops Globally: Much of Orange County has already been affected by a tomato virus, carried by a fly the size of a pinhead, that threatens the world’s crop, agriculture officials warn. Growers may have to abandon Orange County’s tomato industry, which had $17.4 million in 1992 sales, in order to halt the spread of the disease carried by the greenhouse whitefly, said James Duffus, a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher. The unidentified virus--as yet incurable--could spread worldwide, officials said. The virus cost Sun World International Inc. about 25% of its last Orange County crop.
