Stone fruit protocol improved

Some improvements have been made to the systems approach protocol used to ship stone fruit to British Columbia, Canada. But little change is expected in the timeliness of border inspections, which has been the biggest obstacle experienced by U.S. shippers participating in the program.

The British Columbia systems approach provides an alternative for Pacific Northwest shippers who, in the past, had to fumigate peaches, nectarines, and apricots with methyl bromide to eliminate Oriental fruit moth before shipping there. The moth is not found in British Columbia, though it is found in low numbers in the Northwest. This is the third season that the systems approach protocol has been available for Northwest producers.

The systems approach involves trapping and monitoring for the pest in the orchard, treating with pheromones or pesticides, keeping records, and cutting fruit to inspect it for damage. While this is time-consuming, producers prefer it to fumigation, which shortens the quality and shelf life of stone fruit.

British Columbia officials have responded to concerns of Northwest producers about the number of fruit cut for inspection, said Dr. Mike Willett, technical issues manager at the Northwest Horticultural Council.

For the 2001 season, growers will not have to cut fruit at the orchard. Previously, 300 fruit had to be cut in the orchard, as well as 300 per grower lot each day at the packing house.

Fruit must still be cut at the packing house. Also, producers must inspect fruit in the cull bin for suspected insect damage. Suspect fruit must be inspected by using a 10x lens.

While a reduction in the number of fruit that must be cut is welcome news, the biggest logjam to the program is timely inspections of loads in British Columbia. Much discussion has been held with British Columbia about the need to have inspectors available during weekends and after work hours.

"Unfortunately, we have not been able to affect the timeliness issues," Willett said. "Under British Columbia labor laws, the government employees inspecting the fruit have the right to decline overtime opportunities of working on weekends or after hours."

He added that there is interest in expanding the British Columbia program to plums and prunes. They hope to have plums and prunes included by the 2002 season.

U.S. officials were negotiating a similar systems approach program for Oriental fruit moth in order to ship Northwest apricots to Mexico, but Willett doesn't expect approval in the near future.

"Mexican officials haven't done anything they said they were going to do," he said. "I see no chance of anything happening with Mexico this year."