Costs of 2001 methyl bromide rules estimated for California strawberry industry

Carter, C; Chalfant, J; Goodhue, R; McKee, G

Costs of 2001 methyl bromide rules estimated for California strawberry industry

Authors

Colin A Carter
James A Chalfant
Rachael E Goodhue
Gregory J McKee

Authors Affiliations

C.A Carter is Professor, J.A. Chalfant is Professor and Chair, R.E. Goodhue is Associate Professor, and G.J. McKee is Graduate Student. Carter, Chalfant and Goodhue are members of the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) funded this research. The opinions in this article are the authors’, not those of the CDF A.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 59(1):41-46. DOI:10.3733/ca.v059n01p41. January 2005.

PDF of full article, Cite this article

Abstract

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) restricts pesticide use to reduce negative impacts on human health and the environment. The DPR implemented methyl bromide use regulations in 2001. Our study demonstrates that the estimated 2001 costs of these regulations for the California strawberry industry were quite substantial (more than $26 million total), equivalent to roughly 25% of estimated industry returns over total cash costs in 2001. These impacts were unevenly distributed across growers. Growers with small fields in urban areas had higher per-acre costs than growers with large fields in agricultural areas.

References

[CDFA] California Department of Food and Agriculture. California Department of Food and Agriculture Resource Directory.. 2002. Sacramento, CA:

[CPSAB] California Processing Strawberry Advisory Board. 2001 Annual Report. 2001. Watsonville, CA:

[DPR] California Department of Pesticide Regulation. California Pesticide Information Portal. 2003. http://calpip.cdpr.ca.gov/cfdocs/ calpip/prod/main.cfm

DPR. Status Report for Fumigant Pesticides. 2004. Sacramento, CA: p.6. www.cdpr. ca.gov/docs/dprdocs/methbrom/stat0704.pdf

Federighi V. Regulating Pesticides: The California Story.. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, California Environmental Protection Agency 2001. Sacramento, CA:

Goodhue RE, Fennimore SA, Ajwa HA. The economic importance of methyl bromide: Does the California strawberry industry qualify for a critical use exemption from the methyl bromide ban?. Rev Agric Econ. In press.

Klonsky K, De Moura RL. Fresh Market Strawberries, Central Coast (Rep #ST-CC-01); Fresh Market, Freezer Strawberries, South Coast, Santa Maria Valley (Rep #ST-SC-01–1); Fresh Market, Freezer Strawberries, South Coast, Ventura County (Rep #ST-SC-01–2). UC Cooperative Extension, and Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis 2001. www.agecon.ucdavis.edu/outreach/crop/archived-crop/strawberries.htm

Also in this issue:

Aphelopus albopictus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae): Abundance, Parasitism, and Distribution in Relation to Leafhopper Hosts in Grapes

Environmental laws elicit evolution in pest management

Letters: January-March 2005

Science briefs: January-March 2005

Food Quality Protection Act launches search for pest management alternatives

Managing resistance is critical to future use of pyrethroids and neonicotinoids

Pheromone mating disruption offers selective management options for key pests

Biological and cultural controls … Nonpesticide alternatives can suppress crop pests

Various novel insecticides are less toxic to humans, more specific to key pests

Microorganisms and their byproducts, nematodes, oils and particle films have important agricultural uses