▁world ' s ▁fifth ▁largest ▁supp lier ▁of ▁food ▁and ▁agricult ure ▁comm od ities . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁California ▁Department ▁of ▁Food ▁and ▁Agricult ure , ▁" Cal iforn ia ▁agricult ure ▁is ▁nearly ▁a ▁$ 3 6 . 6 ▁billion ▁doll ar ▁industry ▁that ▁generates ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁billion ▁in ▁related ▁economic ▁activity ." ▁The ▁state ’ s ▁agricult ural ▁sales ▁first ▁exceed ed ▁$ 3 0 ▁billion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁California ▁had ▁seen ▁small ▁annual ▁inf est ations ▁of ▁the ▁med fly , ▁typically ▁as cri bing ▁their ▁appearance ▁to ▁the ▁cas ual ▁sh ipping ▁of ▁fruit , ▁and ▁vis its , ▁between ▁relatives ▁and ▁friends ▁in ▁California ▁and ▁Hawai i . ▁ ▁Med f lies ▁bre ed ▁rapidly ▁and ▁eat ▁fruit ▁with ▁a ▁v ora cious ▁app et ite . ▁Not ably , ▁they ▁represent ▁a ▁risk ▁to ▁ 2 2 ▁cro ps ▁in ▁California , ▁including ▁app les , ▁apr ic ots , ▁av oc ados , ▁bell ▁pe ppers , ▁cher ries , ▁dates , ▁fig s , ▁g rap es , ▁gra pe f ruits , ▁ki w is , ▁l imes , ▁mand arin ▁or anges , ▁ne ct ar ines , ▁ol ives , ▁or anges , ▁pe aches , ▁p ears , ▁pers imm ons , ▁pl ums , ▁pr unes ▁and ▁tom atoes . ▁ ▁Med fly ▁inf est ations ▁are ▁not ▁without ▁preced ent , ▁both ▁in ▁California ▁and