France is extending its ban by another year on cherry imports from the U.S. and other countries that permit the use of the dimethoate pesticide.
The country’s fear of the chemical used to combat fruit flies isn’t just blocking the $1 million worth of cherries the U.S. used to export to the country. It’s also angering French farmers who are seeing their yields decline because they also cannot use it.
“As France’s production declines and production costs rise because France’s producers no longer have access to dimethoate, French cherries continue to be scarcer and more expensive,” a new report from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service concludes.
Another point of contention is that the ban doesn't impact Turkey, says FAS. Turkish producers use the pesticide even though it’s banned.
The U.S. is the second-largest producer of cherries in the world, accounting for more than 10 percent of world production. Turkey is the leading cherry producer. Washington leads the nation in sweet cherry production followed by California.
For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
