Hundreds of thousands of pounds of fumigant products are used worldwide every year to assure stored grains and imported goods are free of devastating insect pests. Every major port of entry has active, privately operated fumigation facilities that are mandated by USDA inspectors who issue fumigation directives for a multitude of shipping containers carrying everything from electronic products to furniture to produce. All items packaged with wood products are susceptible to wood boring insects. Produce is inspected twice, for both the wood pallets they are stacked on and the commodity itself as host material for fruit flies, beetles, and related crop pests. All of this imported material must be fumigated by professional fumigators before entry into the United States. With the loss of methyl bromide, the list of available replacement products is short and non-inclusive for all uses.

Small and medium sized manufacturers of specialty products have the opportunity to develop replacement products that can effectively compete in the world market and offer ports of entry cost effective and environmentally sound alternatives to methyl bromide. Pacific Ag has the facilities, substrates, permits, and test species to develop these alternative products for the manufacturer wishing to pursue this market. In addition, we have excellent business and personal contacts in the industry to conduct field trials at ports of entry for scale up tests following successful bioassays and small scale laboratory trails.

There is great potential and need in the industry for products with high-levels of efficacy and low-risk potential to users. We can assist in familiarization with the market and the design of protocols for product development, in addition to conducting trials for products in early or later stages of development.