What If...? The Tomato Industry Without MeBr

The tomato industry is facing the upcoming 50-percent methyl bromide reduction in 2001 with bated breath. Tomato growers, both in California and Florida, produce almost all processing and fresh winter market tomatoes in the United States, and will undoubtedly feel the pain of the methyl bromide ban.

In a "what if" scenario, what would happen to the industry if methyl bromide were suddenly unavailable to tomato growers? A select group of extension agents, growers, and researchers in the tomato industry was presented with this scenario. A synopsis of their responses follows.

Tomato crops have the highest consumption of methyl bromide of all crop uses. Tomato crops account for 23 percent of preplanting methyl bromide use. About 3,700 tons is applied annually to the crop to control diseases, nematodes, insects, and weeds.

Some things became quite evident: California tomato growers are much less dependent on methyl bromide than Florida growers, with less than 5 percent of tomato crops treated with methyl bromide. As a result, the processing-tomato industry in California will be relatively unaffected. Conversely, Florida will bear the brunt of the economic impacts of the reduction in methyl bromide.

Methyl Bromide Alternatives

In California, Telone has proven a quite efficient fumigant. "Telone is a good nematocide, maybe better than methyl bromide," says Thomas Trout, research leader for the ARS Water Management Research Laboratory in Fresno, California. But there are extensive restrictions attached to Telone applications, including 300-foot setbacks, township limits, and personal protective equipment that must be worn by applicators and field workers. Trout asserts, "Township caps shouldn't be a problem, but the required 300-foot setbacks and protection gear may hurt growers."

According to John Leboeuf, research coordinator for the California Tomato Commission, "the methyl bromide ban is a non-issue for California fresh market tomatoes." Processing-tomato growers in California also use little of the soon-to-be-banned chemical, minimizing negative effects from its absence.

The picture in Florida is decidedly more precarious. Florida growers have used methyl bromide for decades to control nematodes, weeds (including nutsedge), and fungi. Currently, Florida accounts for about 30 percent of preplanting methyl bromide in the United States, most of which is used on tomato crops. A combination fumigant treatment of Telone C-17 and Tillam seems to provide nearly the same pest control as methyl bromide. Again, local regulations make the use of this combination costly, since Florida must also abide by 300-foot setbacks and personal protection apparel criteria per federal and local regulations.

The Florida Story

Each year Florida produces virtually all of the fresh market tomatoes grown in the United States from December to May and about half of all the domestically produced fresh market tomatoes in the country. Less than 1 percent of Florida tomato production is used for processing each year. Some 37,360 acres of tomatoes for the fresh market were harvested in Florida during the 1998-1999 processing year. Over 1.4 billion pounds of Florida tomatoes were shipped, with a total value at the farm level exceeding $419 million.

Several methyl bromide alternatives have been tried by growers with varying levels of success. Telone is effective as a nematocide, chloropicrin is used for disease, and Tillam for weed control. Other species-specific herbicides are used for control of weeds not destroyed by Tillam, according to many growers. But the industry has, out of necessity, reverted to agricultural controls of the past. "We've had to go back to technology that is 20 to 30 years old," says Wesley Roan of Farm-Op Inc., a Florida co-op. "We have to tweak the old technology to make it work as best we can." For now, growers can expect some temporary beneficial relief from residual effects of methyl bromide. "Growers will get about two seasons of residual benefits in single crop farms," according to Joseph W. Noling, an extension nematologist with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at Lake Alfred, Florida. However, will the costs outweigh the benefits?

Economic Effects

The use of Telone will require additional personal protective equipment that must be worn by applicators and field workers. Using a combination of Telone and Tillam will result in alterations to preharvest costs, ranging from $84 per acre decline for fall tomatoes grown in west central Florida to an increase of $36 per acre for both spring and fall tomatoes grown in southwest Florida, as theorized by John Van Sickle, an agricultural economist with the University of Florida's Food and Resource Economics Department at Gainesville. In his paper, "Impact of a Methyl Bromide Ban on the U.S. Vegetable Industry," Van Sickle maintains there is an even greater variation in cost for double-cropping systems where tomatoes are the primary crop. In those cropping systems, cost effects range from a decrease of $61 per acre for a double crop of tomatoes and cucumbers grown in southwest Florida to an increase of $255 per acre for a double crop of tomatoes and squash grown in west central Florida.

Tomato yields in each of these cropping systems are expected to decline 10 percent in all areas except Dade County, where yields are expected to decline by 20 percent due to regulatory restrictions on Telone use. According to the Florida Tomato Committee, the total cost of producing and harvesting tomatoes in Florida averages over $10,500 per acre, with some variation between growing areas.

As a result of these economic pressures, tomato production in Dade and Palm Beach Counties in Florida is expected to effectively end without methyl bromide. Southwest Florida and Mexico are expected to increase production acreage, offsetting most of the loss in Dade and Palm Beach Counties. Total tomato production is expected to decrease about 2.5 percent in all areas because of the lower productivity anticipated in switching to methyl bromide alternatives. While the average wholesale price is expected to increase less than 1 percent, tomato growers can expect a decrease of $15.7 million in total revenues.

Florida is projected to lose $68.8 million in shipping point revenues, with Mexico increasing its shipping point revenues by $51.5 million. As postulated, Florida will lose significant market share and shipping point revenues and Mexico will proportionately gain market share and shipping point revenues.

The pressures on tomato growers in Florida are tremendous, and says Noling, "with the 50 percent reduction, the rubber is going to hit the road in 2001."

Last Updated: November 22, 2000