A Japanese company pulled a pesticide called "Midas" off the shelves in the United States, because of health concerns. Growers say the move came at a bad time, because the alternative fumigant they use has been linked to ozone-depletion in the atmosphere and is also on the way out.
Growers say other alternatives have cost tens of millions of dollars to develop, and they have fallen short in terms of effectiveness.
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A series of free online seminars for people involved in the fresh produce industry gets underway this week.
The webinars will feature programs and services by the agricultural marketing service fruit and vegetable program. Each of the four webinars will have presentations by experts on a variety of topics and an interactive question and answer session.
The first webinar will take place this Wednesday at 1 p.m.
