Importance of methyl bromide to cherries

As many know, methyl bromide appears to be doomed. What is this chemical, and why is it so important to the sweet cherry industry?

Methyl bromide is a fumigant commonly used to kill insects in commodities, usually to meet pest quarantine requirements for importing countries. Sweet cherries are exported to Japan following a fumigation treatment with methyl bromide to kill any potential codling moth, an insect Japan has identified as a quarantine pest. The Pacific West produces most of the sweet cherries in the United States, and exports approximately 30% of its crop to Japan. In 1997, more than 13,655 tons of sweet cherries were exported to Japan from California and Washington at an estimated f.o.b. value of $61,640,360. All of these cherries were fumigated with methyl bromide to meet Japan's quarantine standards.

Production and sale of methyl bromide in the United States will not be allowed after January 1, 2001, in accordance with the U.S. Clean Air Act. Methyl bromide has been identified as an ozone depleter, and thus will follow the fate of other ozone depleters like freon and other CFCs. The U.S. Clean Air Act is very strict on eliminating documented ozone depleters, compared to the international protocol, which allows limited use of methyl bromide to continue for quarantine purposes. The Montreal Protocol--the United Nations' treaty which relates to the international use of methyl bromide--recognizes the fact that methyl bromide is important for agriculture and international trade of fresh commodities. Initial recommendations from the Montreal Protocol listed a phase-out date in developed countries of 2015, and 2025 in developing countries. However, in light of the action undertaken by the United States, the Montreal Protocol has moved up phase-out dates to 2005 for developed and 2015 for developing countries.

This may sound equitable, except for the fact that the Montreal Protocol has a special exemption for quarantine and phytosanitary uses. So, as long as there are no viable alternatives available for a commodity, the continued use of methyl bromide will be allowed to meet quarantine and phytosanitary concerns; an exception presently not embraced by the U.S. Clean Air Act.

As the law now stands, all uses of methyl bromide in the United States will be restricted via the ban on production and sale of methyl bromide, regardless of whether a viable alternative is available or not. The impact of the loss of this important agri-chemical will be felt for years to come.

Where does this leave sweet cherries? Without a treatment to control postharvest pests, the export of sweet cherries from the United States to Japan will not be possible. Are there alternative treatments out there that will control codling moth (or other postharvest pests), while preserving the quality of sweet cherries? There may be, but the treatments are still works-in-progress.

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Importance of methyl bromide to cherries

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