At the California Farm Bureau’s annual meeting on Monday, President Jamie Johansson raised alarms over Chile dropping a fumigation rule for table grapes.
California is inundated with invasive species this year and Johansson worried the situation would grow worse under the proposal. He was frustrated that the state’s growers are meeting a steady stream of new regulatory requirements, while countries with more relaxed rules are funneling cheaper foods into the U.S.
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According to the California Table Grape Commission, Chile would drop the requirement that its growers fumigate grapes before exporting them to the U.S. That led USDA to pause its engagement with Chile on the regulations, and the commission is urging USDA to abandon the proposal altogether.
Commission President Kathleen Nave said the change would introduce a significant risk for potentially devastating infestations.
