SACRAMENTO, Calif - Arysta LifeScience, the maker of methyl iodide, announced it would officially withdrawal methyl iodide from California and the United States, Assemblyman Luis Alejo said in a statement released Tuesday.
In response, Assemblymember Alejo is calling on Governor Jerry Brown to form a working group to find safe and feasible alternative crop protection solutions for the agriculture industry.
"Together we need to find a safe and viable alternative to ensure maximum crop production in our state," Alejo said in a starment. "Today, I am asking Governor Brown to create a strawberry producer working group that will take a fresh look at protecting our agricultural economy and our workforce"
Conventional and organic crop protection products are critical to shied soil and produce from destructive pests and to maintain plant health and productivity in farming operations. The crop protection product methyl iodide is one of the few fumigant alternatives to methyl bromide certified for use by the State of California and the Federal Government. Methyl bromide is being phased out from the U.S. market.
In 2010, California was the largest agricultural state with cash receipts valued at more than $37.5 billion. Monterey County's agricultural production in 2010 was valued at $4 billion and is one of the top four agriculture producing counties in California.
Monterey County's agricultural industry provides 45,000 jobs totaling approximately $810,000,000 in wages. In 2010, the 176,992 acre farming region produced more than 150 different crops, of those 157,497 acres were conventionally grown and 19,495 acres were organically grown.
"As we continue to a face the worst fiscal crisis in the history of California, the potential loss of agriculture jobs and revenue is unthinkable and unacceptable," said Alejo. "This unexpected announcement has the potential to create shockwaves to the agriculture industry and could result in the loss of thousands of agricultural and agriculture-related jobs."
Alejo's advisory working group proposal would review:
- Technological advances in the application of existing, legally registered, fumigants that pose significantly less harm to the environment;
- The use of safer and environmentally sensitive materials; and
- Research into alternative pest management strategies.
